


The Code of the Jedi

by RaeDMagdon, Revans_Mask



Category: Avatar: Legend of Korra, Star Wars - All Media Types
Genre: Alternate Universe - Star Wars Setting, Angst with a Happy Ending, F/F, Forbidden Love, Old Republic Era, Prophetic Dreams, Sexual Tension, Slow Burn, Smut, Strangers to Lovers
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-09-23
Updated: 2017-12-20
Packaged: 2018-08-16 21:03:38
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 34
Words: 108,629
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8117539
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RaeDMagdon/pseuds/RaeDMagdon, https://archiveofourown.org/users/Revans_Mask/pseuds/Revans_Mask
Summary: Korra is a talented young Jedi Knight with a great destiny ahead of her, but while investigating whether another member of the Order has gone rogue, she meets a brilliant, gorgeous engineer who will test her own commitment to the code of the Jedi.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> It's here! Just in time for Space Girlfriends day of Korrasami week, we present the first chapter of the epic new LoK series from the writers behind Bonds of Metal. As should be clear from the summary, this is a Star Wars AU; the setting is an unspecified point in the pre-imperial Republic era, but the characters are from Legend of Korra. We hope you like it, and look forward to all your reactions and thoughts. (Just so you know, while both of us are Star Wars fans, Revan's Mask is the one to whom your really deep-dive lore questions should probably be directed).
> 
> Please check out our tumblrs @raedmagdon and @revansmask for more of our work. Rae also has original works featuring lesbian pairings that you can find on her tumblr.

_The wind howled louder than ever, driving hard into Korra’s face as she advanced. Through the blinding haze of snow, she could make out little except the red glow of a single lightsaber blade ahead of her, but it didn’t matter. She didn’t need her eyes to tell her where her enemy was. Sight could deceive, after all—just as she had been deceived for so long. The dark side of the Force surrounded the man in front of her, and she cursed herself for having taken so long to realize that—a folly that had allowed him to take far too many lives while she stumbled about in ignorance._

_No more. “This ends now,” she said, her voice flat and hard. Her own lightsaber sprang to life in her hand, glowing blue as she held it up in an offensive stance._

_“Why should it have to?” The figure in front of her took a step backwards, as if he didn’t want to fight. “I have already shown you so much, Korra. I can feel the anger flowing through your veins. Accept it. I can teach you how to tap into your full powers, how to become stronger than you’ve yet dreamed possible.”_

_For an instant, Korra hesitated. Her enemy was right about one thing. She_ was _wrestling with her anger, struggling to remember all that Master Tenzin had taught her about how to maintain her calm, even in the face of the man who had betrayed everything she once thought they both believed in._

_“Never, Unalaq,” she replied. “I’ll never give into hate the way you have.”_

_“I told you, that is no longer my name,” the man who had once been her mentor snarled, his friendly mask shattering as he gave full rein to his pride and contempt. “I am Darth Semangat now, and it seems I shall have to teach you one final lesson in the power of the dark side.”_

_The Sith Lord lunged toward her suddenly and violently, his blade lashing out through the driving snow. Her own saber rose to meet it and as they clashed, Korra knew with sudden certainty that she had been right before: for one of them, this would be the end. No one else was close enough to interfere this time; either she would kill her uncle, or he would kill her. The knowledge chilled her, but not enough to make her hesitate. She was the chosen one, and she would do her duty._

Korra jolted awake, sitting straight up in bed as the snowy field around her vanished, replaced with the warm, familiar surroundings of her room in the Jedi Temple on Coruscant. Her heart was pounding in her chest, and she took a deep breath, trying to summon the calm she had been trained to find within herself and let go of the shadows of the past.

It was only after several seconds of deep breathing that she realized why she had woken up. Beside her bed, her comm link was beeping furiously and she fumbled for an undershirt as she reached to answer it. A bald, bearded face appeared on the screen in front of her, and she heaved a sigh. “Master Tenzin,” she mumbled, “what’s going on?”

"I'm sorry to disturb you, Korra, but there is an urgent matter that needs your… wait, are you just waking up?" Tenzin’s bushy brows furrowed as he narrowed his eyes at her. "You should be performing your morning meditations already, or at the very least, you should be dressed. Where are your pants?"

Korra gave him a sheepish grin, grateful that at least she was wearing boxers. Once upon a time, her Master's harping would have grated on her and prompted a sarcastic response, but now that she was no longer his Padawan, she mostly found it amusing. "Pants inhibit my ability to maintain a clear focus and attune myself to the Force. Anyway, what is this urgent matter that needs my attention?"

"We will discuss your sleeping schedule later," Tenzin said firmly, but to Korra's relief, he dropped the subject and got back to the matter at hand. "Please, get dressed and come to the Council chamber at once. An important guest has arrived, and she bears concerning news."

"Yeah?" Korra asked. "What kind of concerning news? You've gotta give me something here, Master Tenzin." She left her bed, not bothering to straighten the covers before hunting around her room for the rest of her clothes. They were scattered across the floor, but she ignored Tenzin's mild disapproval as she picked up the same light blue tunic and pair of flowing tan pants she had abandoned yesterday. Most Jedi chose not to wear colors other than various shades of brown and white, but now that she was a full-fledged Knight, Tenzin had to permit her a _little_ leeway.

"I think it would be best for us to discuss the problem in person, but I will tell you that our guest is Suyin Beifong."

That got Korra's attention. She popped her head through the top of her tunic and stared at Tenzin in disbelief. "Master Suyin? Really? What's she doing here? She's not trying to rejoin the Order, is she?"

Tenzin shook his head. "No, nothing like that. Please, just hurry. The two of us will be waiting for you." With a nod, he ended the connection, leaving Korra with more questions than answers.

"What the heck is Suyin doing here?" she muttered to herself as she grabbed her cloak from a simple chair by the door. From what she'd been told, Suyin had once been a skilled Jedi Master, powerful in the Force and well-respected by the Council, but she had left the Order years ago when she had fallen in love and decided to start a family. Her daughter, Opal Beifong, had followed Korra as Tenzin’s Padawan, and many of the stories Korra knew about Suyin came from her.

Before she left the room, Korra grabbed the last and most important item she needed: her lightsaber, which had been resting beside her bed. With a little concentration, it flew off the nightstand and into her hand as if it was meant to be there. Tenzin probably would have rolled his eyes at using the Force for such a trivial thing—but Tenzin wasn't there, and Korra merely smirked. Then she was out the door and off down the hall, tucking the weapon into her belt as she went.

Tenzin had been right that it was late; the temple was already abuzz with activity as Korra made her way down its massive, arched corridors. Padawans on their way to lessons, Knights returning home from their missions, Masters debating one another about the nature of the Force: all of them seem to have gotten up before she had.

 _It’s these stupid dreams that keep throwing me off,_ she thought, shaking her head at herself for being so distracted. It had been nearly two years since that fateful battle in the snow, and still it haunted her. _It’s as if the Force is trying to tell me something by making me relive that day over and over again. But what?_

By the time she reached the council chambers atop the temple, Master Tenzin was already there waiting for her along with an elegant, grey haired woman in a green robe whom she recognized from holos she’d seen as Suyin. “It’s good of you to join us, Korra,” Tenzin quipped as she came into the otherwise empty room.

“I’m sorry, Master,” she said, giving him a respectful nod. “Hello, Suyin. It’s good to meet you. I’ve heard lots of great things.”

“As have I.” Suyin gave her a friendly smile, but it was clear that her mind was troubled. “I’m sorry to have disturbed you this morning, but an important matter has come up. I’m afraid that something may be wrong with Kuvira.”

Korra was taken aback. “With Kuvira? What do you mean?”

“I’m not sure about the details,” Suyin admitted. “We’re not as close as we once were since she left Zaofu to train at the Temple, but I think that she’s involved in something bad.”

“Why?”

“I’ll explain in a minute, but first I was hoping if you could tell me whether you’ve noticed anything odd about her behavior lately. I know you two are friends, so I thought you might have some insight.”

“We are,” Korra agreed. Throughout much of their training they’d been rivals, but of the most friendly kind, pushing each other hard in sparring before relaxing together at the end of the day. Kuvira had even been by her side when she’d finally tracked down Unalaq, fighting back his minions to give Korra a clear path to the Sith Lord himself.  “I haven’t seen her much lately though. I’m not really sure what she’s been up to the last year or so.”

“She told the Council that’s she’s been investigating attacks by pirates operating out of some of the Outer Rim sectors,” Tenzin replied, “but her reports haven’t provided many details. We’ve had very limited contact with her these last few months. By itself, that wouldn’t necessarily be suspicious, but Suyin has come across some additional information that has her worried.”

“Indeed.” Suyin’s shoulders slumped, betraying a deep weariness. “Before she became a Jedi, Kuvira was close to a number of my children, especially Baatar Jr. Even after she came to Coruscant to begin her training, the two of them stayed in touch. About two months ago, he left Zaofu, telling his father and I that he was going to work with Kuvira on some sort of project. He was vague about the details, but at the time I wasn’t especially worried; the two of them always did share an interest in engineering. But then, a few days ago, I was speaking with my sister and Lin mentioned that a shipment of experimental power couplings had been stolen from Future Industries here on Coruscant.”

“Wait, Future Industries?” Korra repeated in surprise. Even though she spent most of her time at the temple and wasn’t always up to date on current affairs, she had heard of Hiroshi Sato’s corporate empire. Future Industries and its owner were practically household names. “That’s strange. Aren’t they a huge company? I would think their shipments would be well guarded”

“We were hoping you would find how it happened,” Suyin said, “but there is one more thing. Before he left home, Baatar had been working on a very similar concept, so I called him up to ask about it. He denied knowing anything, but I could sense he wasn’t being entirely honest. I don’t have any proof, but I think that he and Kuvira are mixed up in this somehow.”

Korra frowned, objections rising to her lips, but they didn't want to come out. Her first instinct was to defend her friend even if they hadn't spoken in a while, but something about Suyin's concerns felt eerily familiar. There had been moments—moments Korra had tried to forget—when some of Kuvira's statements and actions had made her nervous. She had her own struggles with her passions, as all Jedi Knights did, but Kuvira...

"I hate to say it," she murmured, in a low voice. "I hate to even think it, but I know that feeling you're describing. Kuvira's my friend, but after the mission with Unalaq, she almost seemed to sympathize with him."

"As she should have," Tenzin pointed out. "Mastering our emotions is a constant struggle. Perhaps she saw in him her own potential to stumble and fall to the dark side, as many of us did?"

"No," Korra said, shaking her head. "I hope I'm wrong, but it felt like more than that." She drew in a deep breath, closing her eyes for a moment to calm herself before straightening up. "You can trust me with this, Tenzin. If she and Baatar are involved, I'll make sure to stop them and if they aren't, I'll find whoever else is responsible. No matter what, I'll get to the bottom of it."

Suyin smiled, and even Tenzin gave her a rare nod approval. "That's exactly what we were hoping you would say, Korra. These thefts are very concerning, regardless of Kuvira and Baatar Junior's potential involvement. Normally, we would allow Chief Beifong of the Coruscant Police to handle the issue in cooperation with Mr. Sato's own security forces, but since a Jedi may be involved, and since the technology has the potential to be turned to dangerous purposes..."

"Wait, what dangerous purposes?" Korra asked.

"Pretty much anything you can think of," Suyin explained. "Hiroshi's current research deals with ways to magnify the output of power sources. In the right hands, it could do a lot of good, but in the wrong ones..."

"Superweapons," Korra finished for her. "I get the idea. This is definitely something the Jedi should be looking into, no matter who's behind it." _And I really, really hope it's not Kuvira._

Despite what the Force, or perhaps just her intuition, was trying to tell her, she didn't want to believe that her friend would be mixed up in a left, especially of something like this. However, she had to admit that it made a suspicious sort of sense. Baatar Junior was an engineer, after all, and if he had been working on similar technology, it was a coincidence worth checking into.

"We would like for you to begin as soon as possible," Tenzin said. "Start your investigation at Future Industries. If we're lucky, they will be eager to have our help investigating these thefts."

Korra's forehead furrowed slightly in displeasure. "Shouldn't I talk to Kuvira first? Figure out exactly where she's been these past few months?"

"I wouldn't if I were you," Suyin said. "It might tip our hand too soon. Start the investigation first and see where it leads. Hopefully, you won't find Kuvira and my son at the end of the trail." A dark look crossed her face, and she hesitated for a moment. "I almost didn't want to mention my suspicions to you, but I don’t want you to be blindsided. I know you were betrayed by someone you trusted before."

"I appreciate it," Korra said, pushing down the creeping sense of unease that threatened to overtake her. It was foolish to worry before she had even begun to sort through this mess, but she couldn't help it. This was exactly how the situation with Unalaq had started, only this time, she knew better than to trust anyone blindly. _Not even my friends. Not even Kuvira._

"Don't worry, Suyin, Master Tenzin," she said, giving them both a respectful bow. "You can count on me."

* * *

“Why won’t you start?!”

Asami Sato tossed her hyper-spanner down to the floor and glared at the engine in front of her. The charge indicators were green, meaning that there was sufficient power to initiate the reaction. She had just double-checked the electrical connections, which meant that power was getting to the core. And yet, for some reason, the blasted thing refused to start up.  

_The problem must be in the motivators. The power is getting there, but for some reason it’s not kick-starting the reaction properly._

With a sigh, she crawled over to the other side of the engine and picked up a screwdriver to open up the panel that covered the presumably defective part. She had only gotten two of the screws open however, before she was interrupted by the sound of a familiar voice coming from the other side of the hangar.

“Is everything all right, Asami?” her father called out to her. Asami could practically picture his expression as he said, “You’ve been working on that thing for days and I was worried.”

Asami picked herself up, trying to brush at least some of the grime off her overalls. “It’s fine, dad. I just haven’t been able to get the ignition sequence to fire properly, but I think I’ve isolated the problem at least. If this new model works, I should be able to shave a solid 8 or 9% off of the energy costs of making the jump to lightspeed.”

“That would be a very valuable achievement,” Hiroshi told her, pride evident in his voice, “and one that would give us a decided edge on our competitors, but it will have to wait at least a little longer. There’s someone here with me I want you to meet.”

Asami turned around, noticing for the first time that a strange man was standing next to her father. He wore a green and silver uniform, and he had a small goatee and a pinched face that framed intelligent eyes. He had been looking around the hangar, studying its contents, but now he turned his attention to her. “Your work here seems to be very impressive, Miss Sato. It’s a pleasure to meet you. My name is Baatar Beifong.”

 _Beifong…_ Asami tried her best to keep her excitement from showing. Aside from Chief Lin, she knew of only one other group of Beifongs. When the famed Jedi Master Suyin Beifong had left the order, she and her husband had founded a colony on the remote planet of Zaofu, which had become the home of a number of well-known figures in various scientific disciplines. However, because of the world’s distance from the core worlds, and its preference for isolation, many of their discoveries remained hidden from the galaxy at large.

“I’m pleased to meet you too. I’d shake your hand, but as you can see, mine are a bit greasy at the moment.”

He held up a hand. “It’s not a problem.”

“So, Beifong? Does that mean that you’re related to…”

Baatar nodded, but she could tell that he was annoyed at the question. “Yes, Suyin Beifong is my mother, but I no longer live on Zaofu.”

“Baatar has been working with Kuvira, a Jedi Knight who was first trained on Zaofu,” Hiroshi explained. “The two of them have been trying to stamp out a gang of pirates operating out of the Outer Rim systems, and they believe those same pirates are behind the theft of our power couplings.”

Something about that didn’t quite make sense, and Asami’s brow knitted in confusion. “But if they’re based in the Outer Rim, pulling off a heist in the heart of the Republic seems like a bit of a stretch ”

“That’s where their primary bases are located,” Baatar replied, “but we believe they have contacts here on Coruscant as well. They seem to be targeting advanced technology, though we’re not sure for what purpose as of yet. It could be to sell, or for something more sinister, which is why Kuvira and I have agreed to help provide security for some of Future Industries’ other important projects. They’ve hit you once already. You may well be a target again, especially if they have a mole inside your company.”

"A mole?" Asami shook her head, frowning even further. "There hasn't been any evidence to indicate that Future Industries has a mole." _But now that I think about it, the idea doesn't seem so farfetched. We have really tight security. Our inventions and supplies are kept locked away, and all of them are under guard. It's unlikely a band of simple pirates could steal them without leaving a trace…at least, not without inside help._

Baatar seemed to follow her train of thought. "I don't mean to alarm you, Miss Sato, but when Hiroshi expressed his concerns to me, I agreed with him. Future Industries is a reputable organization, but you do work on projects that could be considered…sensitive. The Jedi Order has a vested interest in making sure your work doesn't fall into the wrong hands."

Asami sucked her lower lip between her teeth, chewing thoughtfully. Something about Baatar unsettled her, but she couldn't find any flaws in his logic. "I guess it would be helpful to have a Jedi and her companions investigating these thefts," she said cautiously. "We definitely don't want a repeat of what happened before."

"Exactly my thinking, Asami," Hiroshi said. He left Baatar's side and approached her, wrapping an arm around shoulders and giving her a sideways hug to avoid pressing his suit against her dirty overalls. "Now, why don't you clean up and come with us to get something to eat? I'll bet you didn't have breakfast before you came down to the hangar."

Asami gave her father a sheepish grin. "No, I didn't. Usually I'm the one who has to remind you to eat..."

"We both have a tendency to get wrapped up in our work," Hiroshi agreed as he let her go. "A trait you get from me, I'm afraid. So, will you come?"

"Yes, please do," Baatar added with a thin smile. "You seemed fascinated by Zaofu. I haven't been there in some time, but I'm sure I could share at least a little information that you might find interesting."

Although she would have much preferred to share a rare lunch with her father alone, Asami nodded in agreement. "Of course. That would be really nice. Just give me a minute to clean up." With a wave goodbye, and one last smile for her father, she headed for the exit, wiping her hands on her pants as she went.

Once she was alone, her smile vanished. She couldn't quite put her finger on why the brief conversation had left her so unsettled, but she had learned to trust her gut. Something was nagging at her, the same feeling she'd gotten when her father had first told her about the stolen power couplings. She had been heavily involved in the project herself, and it seemed like an odd thing for pirates to steal. _Competitors of ours, sure, to enhance their own designs. But why would pirates need something that complex? If they just wanted to use them for starships or smaller vehicles, they could just buy the ones already on the market. Ours were for running the kind of power you'd only need for something bigger..._

Her jaw clenched. Even though she didn't really like Baatar's mannerisms, she had to admit that he was right about one thing: Future Industries did work on the kind of technology that could cause a lot of problems if it fell into the wrong hands.


	2. Chapter 2

Korra stepped through the wide double doors of the lobby, craning her neck to take in as much of the entryway as she could. The ceiling was higher than she expected, stretching all the way up to a gleaming glass roof that let in plenty of natural sun. Light poured down onto a gleaming metal floor, illuminating a grand design just in front of her feet: a giant half-gear with twin lightning bolts striking it from above. It was instantly recognizable, but Korra hadn’t expected to see Future Industry’s logo laid out in such style. The entire place screamed ‘fancy’, even more than hi-tech. There were high-speed elevators on both sides of the lobby, as well as plenty of people hustling by while speaking into communicators, but it didn’t have as much heavy machinery around as Korra had expected. This was clearly an office building, not a factory.

In fact, the only mechanical thing she could see besides the elevators was a silver-plated protocol droid sitting behind the reception desk. It was waiting patiently for her, and Korra approached with a friendly smile.

“Welcome to Future Industries, Master Jedi. We’ve been expecting you.”

“Nice to hear you got the message,” Korra said. Although she hadn’t actually been granted the rank of Master yet, it was common for non-Jedi to address all members of the order who had finished their apprenticeship with the honorific, so she wasn’t surprised by it. “So, should I go up to Hiroshi Sato’s office or is he coming down to meet me?”

“I’m sorry,” the droid replied with programmed regret, “but CEO Sato is currently unavailable due to his busy schedule. You are to liaise with his daughter, Miss Asami Sato, Vice-President of New Product Development at Future Industries.”

Korra couldn’t keep from rolling her eyes. Apparently, she was getting passed off on some spoiled rich girl who’d probably only gotten her job because her daddy had founded the company. Taking a deep breath, she tried her best to control her irritation. _Getting frustrated all the time isn’t your best quality as a Jedi_ , she reminded herself. _Think of this as a chance to practice some self-discipline._

“Okay, then,” she told the droid. “Point me toward Asami Sato’s office.”

Fortunately, droids weren’t very good at noticing if you were annoyed at them. “Take the second lift on the left to the 43rd floor,” it said cooly.  “Miss Sato’s office will be the one directly in front of you.”

Korra nodded, murmured a polite “thank you,” and headed over to the elevator the droid had indicated. One brief, smooth ride later, she found herself standing outside a pair of ornate double doors. They were wood rather than metallic, old-fashioned especially for a place like Future Industries. She knocked, and from the other side, a pleasant, feminine voice called out, “Come in, please.”

She opened one of the doors and on the other side of a spacious office, seated behind a desk covered in papers and blueprints, was Asami Sato. _Seems like I was right_ , Korra thought as she took in the heiress’ appearance. Her wavy dark hair and budding red lips were definitely eye-catching, but they only added to Korra’s skepticism. _Perfect hair, perfect makeup—she looks like she spends most of her time have her picture taken at the Galaxies Opera House with the rest of the socialites, not designing starship engines._

If Asami noticed she was being sized up, she didn’t let on. “Hello, Master Korra,” she said brightly, rising up from behind her desk. “I’m very glad to meet you.”

“Likewise, Miss Sato.” Korra extended her hand and when Asami took it, her grip proved to be surprisingly strong. Up close, Korra realized that she was tall as well, taller than Korra herself, actually—a fact that didn’t please her. She also noted, somewhat grudgingly, that Asami’s hands were neither as soft nor well-maintained as the rest of her person. “It’s good to meet you too. So, did they tell you why I’m here?”

“Yes. You’re investigating the recent theft of power couplings from our headquarters here on Coruscant. Though I will admit, I’m a little bit confused.”

 _I’ll bet._ “About what?”

“The message from the Jedi Council only mentioned you coming here for this meeting, not Master Kuvira but it was my understanding that she was already working on this.”

Now it was Korra’s turn to be confused. She raised an eyebrow, asking, “What do you mean? Kuvira’s not assigned to this case.”

“She’s not?” Asami seemed genuinely puzzled by that, but as Korra studied her face, it seemed more due to having learned something surprising than an overall lack of intelligence.

“No, she’s not…” Korra hesitated, unwilling to reveal too much. She didn’t want to spread Master Tenzin and Suyin’s suspicions about Kuvira’s involvement around, not without proof, but she needed more information. “Why would you think she was?”

Asami's eyes narrowed in concern. "One of her associates came by the other day, Baatar Beifong Junior. He's—"

"I know who he is," Korra interrupted, a little too harshly. At Asami's mildly offended look, she tried to backtrack. "I'm sorry, I'm just surprised. Kuvira's an old friend of mine. We trained together at the temple when we were both Padawans. I'm surprised to hear she's taken on this mission too without telling me about it."

"Well, I suppose two Jedi are better than one," Asami said, but she didn't quite sound convinced. There was obviously a question on the tip of her tongue, but she wasn't sure whether or not to ask it.

Korra didn’t give her the chance. "So, how about you give me a quick tour of this place?" she asked, offering Asami what she hoped was a friendly smile. This woman was a little preppy for her tastes, with the hair and the clothes, and the golden glow that only seemed to surround people that came from money, but she clearly wasn't stupid, either. "If I'm going to find whoever stole your dad's invention, I should probably learn my way around."

"My invention, actually," Asami said, with a note of pride in her voice. "I headed up the project, all the way from the blueprints to the full-scale prototypes. Unfortunately, we hadn’t made it past beta testing when the theft occurred."

"Did they steal the blueprints too?"

Asami shook her head. "No. Those were kept on my office terminal, but it wouldn't have mattered if they had. I could have recreated them from memory."

Korra tried not to make a face. _So not just pretty. Pretty arrogant, too._ She wasn't quite sure why this woman was rubbing her the wrong way, but her irritation was turning into dislike. Her parents were well-off too—royalty on the small world where she’d been born, in fact—but she'd deliberately separated herself from them, determined to make her own way in the world without their help. As a Jedi, she had forsworn all unnecessary possessions, and that included her inheritance.

Somewhere in the middle of her internal grumblings, she realized that Asami was staring at her. "So, uh… the tour?"

"Right," Asami said brightly. Unlike Korra, the other woman’s cheer seemed to be genuine. _Or maybe she’s just better at faking it._ “I’d be happy to show you around.”

"Glad to hear it," Korra said. "And rest assured, I want to get this taken care of as quickly as possible. So it would be fine if you just hit the highlights..."

"I think I know what you’ll need to see," Asami said. She headed for the door, breezing past Korra without a second glance. Her stride was long and surprisingly fast, and Korra had to hurry to keep pace.

"It is an impressive office," she admitted as the two of them stepped back out into the hallway. The space was bright and wide, with lights lining the floors and ceilings.

"Oh, this isn't just an office building," Asami said, following the lightstrips back to the elevator. "This is the heart of Future Industries itself. Most of our designs are conceived, tested, and finalized here, and we make many of our prototypes on-site too. If you've ever flown a starship or used a power generator, you probably have this place to thank for at least some of the components. Future Industries might have even made your toaster."

 _I guess your dad probably invented self-cleaning toilets, too,_ Korra thought, but she pretended to be interested. _The mission. Just think about the mission and not how full of herself this woman is._

“I eat most of my meals at the Jedi Temple, so I’m not really sure how the bread gets toasted,” Korra remarked before adding, “but I’m sure you guys make some really nice ones.”

Asami looked a bit chagrined. “Pardon me. Sometimes I forget how different a Jedi’s life is from most people’s. I can’t imagine you spend much time worrying about who manufactures your small appliances.”

“That’s true enough,” Korra agreed, laughing in spite of her desire to be annoyed at the heiress. “We do have somewhat unusual concerns.”

“And yours are probably more unusual than most.” Asami agreed. “Or at least more interesting. The stories about your battle with Darth Semangat are pretty impressive.”

“Unalaq,” Korra said, more sharply than she meant to. She could still hear her uncle’s voice, proclaiming his Sith title that day in the snow and she didn’t want to give him the satisfaction of using it, even posthumously. “His name was Unalaq.”

“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to hit a sore spot,” Asami told her. “I just meant that from everything I’ve been told, you’re a particularly gifted Jedi Knight, especially for someone who only recently completed her apprenticeship.”

Once her irritation passed, Korra found herself both surprised and impressed by Asami once again. The details of Jedi missions weren’t exactly common knowledge, and while it might be possible for a well-connected organization like Future Industries to learn something about them, the fact that this Asami Sato had bothered to do so made Korra doubt that she was nothing but the pampered socialite she appeared to be.

***

As they exited the elevator on the ground floor and walked into the hanger, Asami thoughts kept sliding back to the woman walking by her side. Even here on Coruscant, Jedi Knights were a rare sight, and this was an especially notable one. The stories she’d heard suggested that Korra had been marked by the Jedi Council as someone who had a special destiny, a promise she’d already begun to fulfil by defeating Darth Semangat, or whatever he ought to be called _._

 _Not to mention that she’s quite good looking_. Asami snuck another look at Korra’s face. It was pretty, bright, and engaging, and on the rare occasions she had smiled so far, Asami had definitely taken notice. But while a peek or two was harmless, it was probably best not to dwell on that part of Korra. Jedi vows that meant that any attraction wasn’t likely to lead anywhere, even if it turned out to be mutual, so Asami cleared her head and returned her attention to the present.

“You sure have a lot of projects going down here,” Korra commented as she looked around the hangar, filled as it was with machines large and small.

“Indeed.” Asami nodded with some pride; she had had a hand in many of them after all. “They’re in different stages of development at the moment. Some are nearly ready to go into production, others still have a lot of kinks to work out. And a lot of them could be attractive to whoever it is that stole our other shipment, depending on what they’re trying to accomplish.”

“But if you had to take a guess,” Korra asked, “which ones seem like the most likely targets?”

Asami thought about the question. After a moment, her eyes wandered toward a corner of the hangar where she had been putting together some hyperdrive motivators. They still didn't have their protective outer shells, and several wires and jagged edges were exposed, but she could already picture how they would look when they were finished: large, smooth cones without a crack or fault in sight. Unlike some _other_ companies, Future Industries hyperdrive motivators were built with maximum consistency in mind.

"Since the last things they stole were our newest power couplings, I'd say these are a pretty good bet." She led Korra over to the half-built motivators, explaining on the way. "Whoever stole those power couplings I designed would only take them for two reasons: to sell to our competitors on the black market, or to build something really big. Whichever reason, these would fit the bill too."

Korra came to a stop next to the large conical structures, looking them up and down. "These are pretty big," she conceded. "I don't think I've ever seen a hyperdrive taller than me before, let alone just a motivator."

"Well, Future Industries like to think big. We've already got a large share of the personal starship market, so we're looking to expand."

"Into what?" Korra asked, folding her arms across her chest. "Capital ships? Space stations? Don't tell me you're working on more efficient reactor cores, too."

"Possibly," Asami said, taking note of Korra's aggressive posture. It wasn't lost on her that this Jedi viewed her with some suspicion, and possibly even distaste—which was a disappointment. For her part, Asami had found Korra to be pretty admirable so far, and not just because of her appearance or the impressive stories other people told about her. There was a gleam of intelligence in her dark blue eyes, and she seemed to know exactly what questions to ask to get the information she wanted.

"If you are, I need to know."

Asami nodded. "Of course, but there's no need to worry. They're fusion-based, and we're at least a year away from production. Our scientists are still testing potential reactions under a variety of conditions and..." She stopped herself before she could get too carried away, her face heating up with embarrassment. She had learned at a young age that, around people who didn't share your excitement, it was possible to seem a little _too_ interested in science. "Sorry, you probably don't need to know all of that."

To her surprise, Korra gave her what looked to be a genuine smile instead of one that concealed annoyance. "It's okay. It's nice that you're enthusiastic about your work. But back to the thefts..."

"Right." Asami went to stand beside one of the motivators, patting it affectionately. "These motivators aren't much good to a thief in pieces like this, but I'd planned on stepping up security once they were finished."

"I'd do it before that," Korra muttered darkly. "No offense, Miss Sato, but now that I've seen some of the stuff Future Industries is working on, I'm surprised you haven't been broken into before."

"It's not like we've been negligent," Asami protested, a little unsettled. "We have an excellent security system, especially for the digital part of our process. Our terminals are the best money can buy..."

"And if one dissatisfied worker is offered enough of a bribe, all that information falls into the wrong hands. I'm sorry, but this reeks of an inside job."

Asami frowned. Baatar had suggested the idea earlier, and since then, she’d been giving it a lot of thought. "If that's true, it would have to be someone very high up. We don't give our low-level workers access to everything. Even our shipping schedules are only shared on a need-to-know basis."

“I guess we’d better make a list of who knew then,” Korra said. “Like I said, I have a bad feeling about this.”

Asami opened her mouth to reply, but before she could speak, her head was turned by the sound of footsteps on the factory floor. When she saw who it was, however, the only sound that came out was a long sigh. She knew the dark-haired man in uniform approaching her, and though they weren’t on awful terms, they weren’t precisely on good ones, either. She braced herself, shoulders tensing as she prepared to greet him.

***

“Mako, what are you doing here?” Asami said to the newcomer. A noticeable chill had crept into her voice, and from the way that she asked the question, Korra could tell there was history between her and this Mako.

 _Detective Mako_ , she corrected herself as she noticed the man’s blue uniform. He looked young, especially close up, but thanks to the outfit, Korra had no doubt he was part of the Coruscant Security Force. _And even without it, that stone-serious look would give him away._

“It’s just business this time,” Mako replied. “Chief Beifong wants some follow-up on the theft of those power couplings.”

“And she just happened to pick you to be the detective to come over here and investigate?”

Asami’s question sounded deeply skeptical, and Mako protested, “Okay, I volunteered. I thought that since the two of us know each other, it would make things go more smoothly.”

“I don’t know why you would come to that conclusion,” Asami said, an acid note in her voice. “Things haven’t gone smoothly between us for quite some time.”

Even without any romantic experience of her own, Korra could guess what Asami was hinting at. The air of curdled attraction between the pair of them was obvious, and it made Korra take another look. Detective Mako was certainly handsome enough, if in a bland sort of way, but Asami…

 _I was so busy being annoyed at how perfect she looked, I didn’t notice how_ perfect _she looked._ The woman was absolutely gorgeous, from her dark hair, to those bedroom eyes, down to her incredible figure, and Korra wondered how Mako had managed to screw things up with such a beauty.

Whatever the answer, while Korra was distracted by her starring, the two of them seemed to finish whatever silent argument they were having in their heads. Asami turned to her, and said, “Forgive my rudeness. Korra, this is Detective Mako with the Coruscant Security Force. Mako, may I introduce Jedi Knight Korra.”

“Please to meet you, Master Korra,” Mako said extending his hand, and as she shook it, he added, “So, like I was saying, I’m here to investigate the theft at Future Industries. Chief Beifong told me that’s the reason you’re here, too.”

“Yeah, I am,” Korra agreed. “And it’s good to meet you, but to be honest, I’m not really sure that I need any help with this. It’s Jedi business, and we can...”

Before she could finish the thought, Mako’s communicator interrupted her with a string of beeps. He must have known who was calling, because a look of surprise crossed his face before he answered the comlink. “Excuse me,” he murmured, turning away from the both of them for a small amount of privacy. “Bolin? What is it? You know I’m working right now.”

At the name ‘Bolin’, Asami started listening intently. She obviously knew the man as well, if her expression was any indication.

“Uh, yeah, I know,” came a voice from the other end of the link. It was male, higher-pitched than Mako’s, and also obviously afraid, with a waver in the middle. “But there’s, um, a bit of a situation here, and I might need your help?”

“What kind of situation?” Mako asked. He lowered his voice, but Korra could still hear every word he muttered into his wrist, as well as the responses.

“Uh, well… I kind of owe some credits to Varrick the Hutt because of that latest mover deal that fell through. And I kind of forgot to pay him again. And he kind of told me that if I don’t settle up in the next few hours, he’s going to feed me to a Nexu. So…”

Instead of answering, Mako groaned, cradling his head in his hands. While he was distracted, Asami circled around him, speaking into the comlink herself. “Bolin? It’s Asami. How much money do you need?”

That prompted an inhale and a surge of static, probably made by the person on the other end gesturing wildly. “No! Asami, I can’t ask you to bail me out of this. You’re—”

Asami interrupted, refusing to let him finish. “What did I tell you when Mako and I broke up? We’re still family. I’m not going to let your boss feed you to some cat monster, okay?”

“He’s right, though,” Mako said, removing his head from his free hand and pinching the tense muscles of his forehead. “You can’t just bail him out. It’s not about the credits. Varrick has been using Bolin for long enough. It’s time to call in some favors and bring all the regulatory statutes we’ve let him slide on so far down on his head.”

At that, Korra frowned. So far, the implications of this conversation were unsettling to say the least. "Wait, are you telling me this Varrick the Hutt guy is a wanted criminal?" she asked, fixing Mako with an accusatory glare. "And he's just out there, bothering innocent civilians without the police trying to put a stop to it?"

"I wouldn't call Bolin an innocent civilian," Mako said, but Asami glared at him once more.

"Bolin is working very hard to pursue his dream. Maybe if you had a little more faith in him..."

"Maybe if he didn't do shady things to pay the bills while he waits for his big break," Mako muttered under his breath.

"Look," Korra said, holding up her hands and stepping between them, "whatever issues the two of you have, we can deal with them later, all right? As a Jedi Knight, it's my sworn duty to protect people." She looked at the comlink on Mako's wrist. "Hey there, Bolin. My name's Korra. Am I right that you need protecting?"

"Oh, hey! So, you're Korra? Are you really a Jedi Knight?" the man said, clearly enthused. "That's so totally awesome—"

"Thanks, Bolin, but try to focus. Is this Varrick the Hutt guy shaking you down?"

"Yeah..." Once more, Korra could hear the nervousness in Bolin's voice bleeding through the connection. "If you could come over here and help, I'd really appreciate it, because there are a bunch of guys in armor with blasters around the bottom of my building. I can see them through my window—"

"Darn it, Bolin, get away from the window!" Mako said. His face blanched, going in an instant from annoyed to panicked. "Hold on, okay? I'm coming."

" _We're_ coming," Asami corrected him. "Korra, are you in?"

"Are you?" Korra asked, with mild surprised. "No offense, but if there are hired goons with blasters, it's probably not a good idea to—"

"Look, don't argue with her on this, Master Korra," Mako said, obviously trying to forestall an argument. "Asami is combat trained. She knows what she's doing. If I'm being honest, she could kick my ass any day of the week."

Korra shrugged. Personally, she was doubtful how capable Asami was, but she couldn't really stop her from coming along anyway. "Fine. Detective Mako? Miss Sato? Lead the way."

“Okay then, it’s decided,” Mako said. “We’ll all go. My sky car’s outside.”

Asami shook her head. “Mine’s faster.”


	3. Chapter 3

As the sleek red skycar whipped around a corner, Korra couldn’t help but be impressed. For someone who didn’t have Jedi reflexes to aid her, Asami was one hell of a driver. She’d managed to weave her way through the skyways of Coruscant in excellent time and without killing anyone along the way, which considering the mid-day traffic was a definite accomplishment.

From across the street, Korra could see their destination: an apartment building that stretched up into the Coruscant skyline. It wasn’t the sleaziest place she’d ever seen, not by a long shot, but it was also a long way from the wealth of Future Industries. Clearly Bolin, who she’d learned along the way was Detective Mako’s brother, wasn’t exactly an A-list holo-drama star just yet.

“Come on, guys,” came Bolin’s pleading voice from the other side of the communicator. “They’re pounding on my door, and putting on a mechanical voice and acting like a protocol droid telling them Bolin isn’t home didn’t help anything.”

In spite of the tense situation, Korra laughed. “Don’t worry, we’re almost there. Mako, do you know which apartment is Bolin’s?”

Mako pointed at a window near the middle of the building. “It’s that one right there.”

“Then bring us in closer, Asami. The elevator will take too long, and this way, these guys won’t have any idea what’s about to hit them.”

“Should we try negotiation first?” Mako asked. “Isn’t that the Jedi way?”

Korra unlocked the door. “These goons are trying to break into your brother’s apartment, probably to take his knees. Besides, I suspect they’ll be a lot more ‘diplomatic’ after I get through with them.”

“Sounds like a plan to me.” Asami nudged the controls and the skycar banked, bringing them level with the window. Korra flicked her wrist and it flew open, giving her a clear path as she leapt out of the car.

She landed in a living room strewn with dirty clothes and empty take-out food boxes, but even as she took in her new surroundings, she was nearly bowled over by a frightened-looking man busting into the room. Bolin didn’t look very much like his brother; he was shorter and his face was rounder, though he did have the same thick eyebrows. Right now, though, the most prominent thing about him was the startled expression on his face.

“Don’t break my knees! I need those to work. I swear I’ll get Varrick his money soon.”

“I don’t work for Varrick,” she said. “I’m Korra, the Jedi Knight you were just talking to.”

“Oh.” Bolin looked her up and down. “Oh! That’s great. I always wanted to meet a Jedi Knight, and it’s especially great because those guys are tired of listening to my transparent lies about how I’m not here.”

A second later, Korra heard the crack of a door giving way to pressure, followed by a set of heavy footsteps thundering toward them. Behind her, first Mako and then Asami leapt through the open window as well.

“What’s the situation?” Mako asked.

“We’ve got incoming,” Korra said calmly. “Get behind me.”

The blue blade of her lightsaber sprang to life a second before the goons burst into the room.  There were six of them in total, three human men and one women, along with a pair of trandoshans, all of them wearing fairly decent sets of dark-colored armor. Their outfits matched, a fact Korra didn't fail to notice, and they pointed their blasters at her in a single motion.  _ So, they're used to working as a unit. Guess this Varrick the Hutt guy has his own team of bruisers instead of hiring the cheapest mercenaries on the block like a lot of crooks. _

A woman in front noticed her lightsaber, although the nose of her blaster didn't lower. "Look… Jedi?" she said doubtfully, with a hint of disdain. "There are six of us and four of you, but we're only here for that guy. Hand him over, and we won't have any problems." She jerked her helmet toward Bolin, who had shifted over to stand nervously by Mako's side. His fists were raised slightly and his shoulders were squared, but he didn't have a weapon, and his big eyes read fear.

Korra slid him a reassuring look before addressing the mercenary directly. "I'm afraid we already have a problem. It's my duty to protect the innocent."

One of the other mercenaries snorted. "Innocent? I don't know who you think you're protecting, but this guy definitely ain't innocent." He jabbed his blaster at Bolin, who flinched at the gesture.

"Hey, I said I'd pay!"

"Yeah," the merc said, in a tone dripping with sarcasm. "Varrick's heard it all before, buddy."

"Well, Varrick's going to hear a lot more interesting things soon." Mako stepped forward so they could clearly see his uniform. "Why don't you leave Bolin alone and go back to your boss? Tell him the free ride is over. Chief Beifong doesn't take kindly to loan sharks and dirty dealers like him operating on Coruscant."

Unfortunately, his threat didn’t produce the desired reaction. Instead of backing down, the woman in front gave a sharp nod of her head. Blasters clicked, and Korra took a deep breath, centering herself. She'd been in scrapes a lot worse than this, and with her lightsaber in hand, six hired muscleheads didn't bother her.

But to her surprise, it was Asami—not Mako, or even Bolin—who attacked first. She hadn't said a word during the argument, but she leapt forward like a flash of lightning, seizing one of the human mercenaries by the arm. One of her gloves crackled with bolts of energy as she gripped him, and the merc dropped his blaster, screaming and jerking. His eyes rolled back in his head, and he crumpled to the ground, smelling of singed flesh.

Korra stared in shock, but only for a moment. There wasn't time to be astounded by Asami's actions, because the rest of Varrick's goons were rounding on them. One of them fired at Asami, but she dodged out of the way, moving fast enough that someone who hadn’t spent years training with her fellow Jedi might not have been able to follow it.

It was an opportunity Korra didn't waste. She jumped too, lightsaber in hand, and brought the hilt crashing down on the nearest mercenary's head before he could even fumble his blaster into position. He stumbled, dazed, but didn't fall right away, and Korra had to duck as he took a clumsy swing at her with his fist.

As she rose up from under the blow, Korra held up her hand, and a strong push with the Force sent him flying backwards into one of the trandoshans. The impact spoiled the alien’s aim with his large blaster pistol and the bolt flew upward, slamming harmless into the ceiling. Another of the mercenaries was more on target though, and Korra whirled quickly to block his shot with her lightsaber, deflecting it into the arm of one of his friends. That man screamed and dropped his own gun, and before the shooter could fire again, Korra lashed out with her saber, cutting the blaster in half.

While she was carving her way through the middle of the mercenaries, her companions had begun their attack as well. Mako hit the female mercenary with a stunning shot from his blaster, while Asami grabbed the other trandoshan with her shock grove, causing him to let out a series of guttural grunts as he too was zapped into incoherence. Even Bolin got in on the action, dashing out from behind his brother to tackle the thug Korra had disarmed, slamming him to the ground while he was trying to draw a vibro-knife.

Korra, meanwhile moved to mop up the remainder of their enemies, stepping in front of the two goons she had tossed together before they could get up. She pointed her lightsaber at the human one’s throat as she said, “Now, before you decided to act like an even bigger bunch of idiots, I think Detective Mako was explaining he had a message for you to take back to your boss.”

“Uh, yeah, definitely,” the man blurted out, holding up his hands and nodding vigorously. “We’ll tell Varrick that Bolin is off-limits.”

“Yeah,” the one that Bolin had pinned to the ground added. “We didn’t know you were friends with no Jedi.”

“This didn’t give it away?” Korra asked, cocking her head skeptically in the direction of her glowing lightsaber.

“We thought it might be, you know, a prop or something. ‘Cause he’s an actor.”

“Well, it’s not, so unless you want another display of what it can do, I suggest you grab your unconscious friends and get out of here. Now.”

The thugs hastened to comply, taking hold of those members of their group who’d been knocked out and retreating out of the apartment with a series of nervous, backward glances. Korra turned to her companions, but before she could ask if they were all right, Bolin blurted out, “That was freaking awesome.”

Mako raised a thick eyebrow. “You almost get shot by thugs working for some hutt gangster, and that’s what you have to say for yourself? That this was ‘awesome’?”

“But Mako, it  _ was  _ awesome,” Bolin protested. “I mean, did you see what Korra did there, knocking the one guy’s blaster bolt into the other guy? And then cutting his gun in half? I mean, I’ve seen footage of Jedi in action in the news holos, but never in person, so I wasn’t sure if it was really real, but yeah, that was super real.”

“I’m glad you enjoyed the show,” Korra said, deactivating her saber. “You handled yourself pretty well too. All of you.” Though she didn’t single her out, Korra was thinking especially of Asami. It seemed Mako’s earlier remarks about the heiress’ combat ability were well-founded, and Korra found herself regretting the knee-jerk negative impression she had formed at their first meeting.

Asami seemed to understand the compliment was meant for her, but she reacted with modesty. "We were a good team," she said, giving everyone a smile of approval. "Bolin was right, Korra. I see now why my father was so keen to have a Jedi looking into these thefts. I doubt any Outer Rim pirates could stand up to you."

Korra's face flushed. She wasn't sure why the praise pleased her so much, but she tried not to let it get to her head. A Jedi was supposed to be modest above everything else. "So, what is that thing?" she asked, gesturing at Asami's glove and awkwardly trying to change the subject. "An invention of yours?"

"Good guess." Asami held up her arm, letting Korra inspect the glove for herself. It was red and sleek, with a glowing circle in the middle of the palm. "Just a few volts of electricity, for self-defense. I've got it on a stun setting most of the time."

"Well, I wouldn't want to get shocked with it," Korra said, remembering the way the first mercenary had crumpled to the ground.

"This chat is nice and all," Mako said, "but we can't stay here. I need to go back and report to Chief Beifong, and I'd like all of you to come with me."

Korra fought against her first instinct, which was to say no. She was still of the opinion that this was Jedi business, and the Coruscant police didn't need to be involved. But then she remembered that Tenzin would be expecting her to show cooperative behavior, and that Chief Lin Beifong was the one who had brought the matter to Suyin's attention in the first place.

_ Plus it would probably be a good idea to check in with her and see what else she knows. Maybe she'll have some useful information for us. _

"Sounds like a plan. What about you, Bolin?" Korra glanced around the apartment, which wasn't merely messy because of its inhabitant. The fight had knocked a couple of pieces of furniture over, and there were black blaster marks on the walls. "Uh...you might want to report this."

Bolin sighed. "Yeah, I probably should. Even after that beating, Varrick the Hutt will probably just send more of his goons after me. I might as well get some police protection aside from you, big bro."

Mako rolled his eyes. "Seriously? I've been telling you to go to the police for weeks to deal with this, but now you're willing to listen to someone you just met?"

"What do you want from me? She's a Jedi. Actually..." Bolin’s eyes lit up with an idea. "Hey, what would you think about me helping you look into this whole stolen couplings thing? As long as I'm hanging out with you guys, Varrick's mercenaries will be afraid of getting their butts handed to them again. They won’t touch me."

Korra looked at him in surprise. "You know about the power couplings?"

Asami gave a slightly sheepish smile. "He's a good friend of mine, Korra," she said in an apologetic tone. "When it happened, it didn't seem strange to tell him. It's not common knowledge, though. At least, I haven't told anyone else. I don't know about my father or Chief Beifong."

Korra thought about it. Ordinarily, she would have objected to having a bunch of civilians following her around, but these three had proven themselves useful in a fight. Asami definitely knew what she was doing, Mako seemed fierce in a pinch, and even Bolin had gotten in a couple of hits. More importantly, they knew the city, and Future Industries as well. She was reluctant to admit it, but she could probably use their help.

"Okay," she said, nodding to seal the deal. "We'll all go to the station station together, and then we'll figure out our next move...as long as you promise not to get in my way."

"Oh, we won't," Bolin said at once, rocking on the balls of his feet with excitement. "Mako, this is going to be so cool! Helping a real Jedi solve a mystery—"

"We'll see about that," Mako said, in a tone that suggested he wasn't entirely pleased by this development. But his eyes slid over toward Asami, and Korra saw the two of them exchange a glance. Obviously, Mako realized that Asami was going to advocate for Bolin's presence, and didn't want to argue with her.

The three of them headed out of the apartment, closing what remained of the door behind them. Mako pulled Bolin to the side, muttering in his ear, and Korra suddenly realized Asami was standing close beside her. She gave the other woman a hesitant smile, and Asami smiled back.

"You'll probably get along well with Chief Beifong, Master Korra," Asami said after an awkward beat of silence. "The two of you are a lot alike."

_ That probably means we won't get along, _ Korra thought privately, but she didn't say so. Instead, she nodded and replied, "I'm sure we will."

* * *

“I’d like to know what the Jedi are doing interfering in my investigation.”

Korra eyed the grey-haired woman making the demand with irritation, trying her best not to let that feeling tip over into full-blown anger. Lin Beifong projected the same strength as her sister, but it was of a far less quiet sort. Everything about the Chief of Coruscant Security, from her severe blue and grey uniform, to her hard, angular face, to the jagged scars across her cheek, gave the impression of a woman who didn’t care if you liked her as long as you did what she said. Korra, however, had no intention of complying.

“ _ You’re _ the one who’s interfering in  _ my  _ investigation,” she insisted, putting her hands of her hips for emphasis. “The Jedi Council assigned me to figure out what happened to the stolen shipment of power couplings, and I don’t need the local cops getting in my way while I do it.”

Lin stood up from behind her desk, glaring at Korra with an intensity that would make most people wither. It certainly had that effect on Bolin, who took two steps back toward the door to Lin’s large but austere office. Mako and Asami held their ground however, remaining by Korra’s side as Lin declared, “We had this case well before your Jedi Council decided to stick its nose in. There’s no evidence that the crime was committed by a Force user, and none of the victims fall into that category either, so absent a specific mandate from the Senate or the Chancellor’s office, it falls under my jurisdiction. If I need your help, I’ll ask for it.”

“You already did,” Korra retorted.

“What do you mean by that?”

“Don’t you remember when you talked to your sister about this case? Master Suyin is the one who brought it to the Order’s attention.”

“My sister should know the difference between a polite conversation and a request for assistance,” Lin snorted. “Frankly, I’m not sure why she would come out of seclusion just to ask the Jedi to become involved in a simple theft like this in the first place.”

Korra drew in a deep breath before answering. She hadn’t wanted to give voice to the Council’s suspicions about Kuvira before she had more proof, but Lin was right. This didn’t look like a Jedi matter unless you knew about that part. “Suyin and the Council are worried that a Jedi Knight named Kuvira may have been involved in the crime.”

Lin raised an eyebrow. “Kuvira? I met her once. She’s an orphan that my sister took in, and then sent on to the Jedi once it turned out she had talent with the Force.”

“Considerable talent,” Korra agreed. Kuvira had been one of the most gifted young Jedi in the Order; one of the reasons Korra had enjoyed having her as a sparring partner. “She’s a really strong Jedi, but Suyin thinks that she and Baatar Junior might be mixed up in this. She doesn’t have any proof, though, which is why the Council wants me to find out more.”

“Wait, Baatar Junior?” Asami asked, furrowing her brow thoughtfully. “I was just telling Korra that he came by Future Industries very recently. My father introduced us. You think he might be involved?”

“Why? What do you know about him?” Mako asked.

“Apparently he and Kuvira got in touch with my father about providing security for some of our other sensitive projects. Baatar said they were worried about further thefts.”

Korra shook her head. “Which could be a real concern, or a pretty good cover for him to steal some more of your stuff. Though I don’t know for what yet.”

“And that worries me even more than the rest of this,” Lin said. “My nephew and a rogue Jedi Knight aren’t the sort of people who would be involved in something like this just to make money.”

“Which means they want to use those power couplings to build something themselves, which could be a heck of alot worse than just selling them on the black market,” Asami pointed out.

“If they’re even guilty,” Korra protested. “We still need to find proof before these are more than just accusations.”

“Yes, we do.” Lin sighed. “I may not like it, but this seems as if what’s going on here could be a threat to both planetary security and the Jedi Order. Given that, I suppose I could agree to having us work on the case together.”

_ You suppose you could agree? _ Korra decided not to make a fuss about the wording of Lin’s offer though, so she just extended her hand and said, “All right. Together it is.”

From behind her, she heard Bolin exclaim, “Yeah! This will be fun.”

_ Somehow, I doubt it. _


	4. Chapter 4

Korra stared out the window of her hotel room, gazing over the magnificence of Coruscant at sunset. Speeders whipped by the massive buildings in almost hypnotic patterns, and what might have been a calm, silent evening on another world thrummed with the noise of their engines, even this high above the ground. It was all so different than the remote planet she had been born on, and even after all these years, she wasn’t entirely used to it.

She had finally begged some privacy of her eager new entourage with the excuse that she was tired—a true enough statement, even though she didn't plan on sleeping any time soon. She wasn't sure she could. Kuvira kept intruding on her thoughts, leaving her pensive and unsettled. The knowledge that Baatar Junior was showing his face around Future Industries definitely wasn't a good sign, but it wasn't damning proof either. He could be involved alone, or perhaps he and Kuvira were, as he had claimed, really on the trail of a band of Outer Rim smugglers. It wasn't likely, but Korra clung to the faint hope anyway. 

_ Maybe I should talk to her. No one's done that yet, not even Tenzin and Suyin. _ It was a dangerous prospect, one that could tip her hand if Kuvira really was involved in this messy business. Korra knew better than to trust blindly. But she couldn't accuse blindly, either. So far, the evidence was all circumstantial. Their friendship wouldn't buy Kuvira a pass if she was guilty, but it was enough to prompt Korra to rummage in her robe for her personal comm.

_ I'll just call to chat. If she is involved, she'll probably hear that I'm snooping around from someone else anyway, so I won’t be giving myself away. _

She turned, pressing a button on the side of the comm as she headed off the balcony and back inside. The room was small, but clean—appropriate for a Jedi. She flopped backwards on the edge of the single bed and when she said, "Kuvira," the comm gave a beep of recognition. Moments later, a wavering image flickered to life above it.

Kuvira looked much the same as she had the last time Korra had seen her, even though it had been years ago. She still wore her dark hair in a braid, and she had the same severe eyebrows and the same beauty mark beneath her eye. "Korra?" she asked with a smile, and Korra felt surprised and a little guilty for being so pleased to see her old friend. "To what do I owe the pleasure?"

"Just a hello, Kuvira," Korra answered, offering a weak smile of her own. She was sure it wasn't very convincing, but she couldn't manage much more, tired and worried as she was.

"It's been a long time since our last hello," Kuvira said. Her brow furrowed. "I'm happy to talk to you, but there must be something going on if you're calling me out of the blue. What is it?"

Korra sighed. She might as well get to the point. "I spoke to somebody who ran into Baatar Junior today on one of my missions, and it made me think of you. I was surprised. I didn't know he was on Coruscant at all, or that you were, for that matter."

It was a pretty obvious fish, but if Kuvira noticed, she didn't let on. "I'm not," she said, although she made no effort to offer a different location and correct Korra's assumptions. "Did he tell this person that I was?"

“No, no,” Korra replied, perhaps too quickly. She hadn’t really planned how this conversation needed to go, and she was stuck improvising, hoping she wouldn’t give away her suspicions. “I just figured that since you two were always close, and he left Zaofu to come here, that you had too. Hoped we could have lunch or something.”

“I’m afraid that won’t be possible,” Kuvira said, her tone cool and measured. “Right now, I’m stuck hopping between the Outer Rim worlds at the moment.”

“Yeah, I heard something about that. Dealing with pirates, right? I thought maybe you were done with that stuff, but I guess not.”

“No, it will still be a while,” Kuvira agreed. “It’s a pretty nasty ring, actually. Normally, out this far into the rim, it’s all pathetic little bands stabbing each other in the neck for crumbs, but this particular group is better organized and supplied than usual. They have a lot of connections too. Some of them may even extend into the Core Worlds.”

“That far, huh?” Korra asked, trying not to let the suspicion show in her voice. “Do you what their goals are?”

“Not yet, though I imagine that like most pirates, they’d mostly like to get paid. That’s what Baatar’s doing on Coruscant; trying to find out more about those possible Core World connections I mentioned.”

“Well, lemme know if either of you needs any help with that. I’m kind of in between assignments, so if you want, I’d be happy to...”

Kuvira held up a hand. “I appreciate the offer, Korra, but there’s really no need. I have matters well under control. But perhaps when all this is over and I report in to the Council, we can get that lunch and maybe spar a bit. It’s been too long since we’ve gone a few rounds.”

“It has,” Korra agreed, trying to muster the expected enthusiasm. “Anyway, good luck with those pirates. I’ll talk to you later.”

Kuvira gave a polite nod before terminating the call, leaving Korra feeling no better than when it had begun. Something was off. Kuvira had never been the most demonstrative person, but in spite of her cordial replies, this was different. Korra could sense an icy reserve beneath her words that hadn’t been there when they’d worked together in the past.  _ Once, she would’ve been happy to have me come and help out, even if she didn’t need the assistance. Now, though…What are you hiding, Kuvira? _

Clearly, this wasn’t going to be a simple case, which meant that Korra needed to consider her next move carefully. Going back to the theft itself had proved to be a dead end. The files sent over by Coruscant Security indicated that it had been a smooth, professional job. The burglars were in and out very quickly, the security systems had been expertly disabled, disguises had been worn, and no trace evidence was left behind.

As far as she could see, there were two possible avenues of investigation. One was to look for the mole inside Future Industries. That was likely to take time, and it might prove to be a dead end. There might not even be an inside man, and even if there was, an outfit this smart could easily have paid off or threatened somebody in helping without giving them enough information to expose the puppet masters. That left just one other possibility she could think of, but though it was definitely risky, it might also be a lot more productive.

* * *

Asami hung her head, resting her elbows on her desk and bringing the tips of her fingers up to her temples. So far, the morning had passed slowly. She'd been forced to attend a shareholder meeting: in other words, an excuse for the company higher-ups to brag about how much money they were making. As Vice-President of New Product Development, her presence was required. Her father had asked her to summarize some of their newer projects, but she'd been greeted with mostly blank looks until she had gotten to the word 'profit'—and that was  _ after _ explaining her inventions in what she thought were layman's terms.

She pressed her fingertips in harder, rubbing in circles and closing her eyes. Normally, she was a calm person, eager to get along with everyone. Sharing her ideas was one of her greatest joys, but the shareholders had seriously tried her patience. She wished she had followed Bolin's advice and bowed out of the meeting to spend the morning at her mansion with him. Since his apartment was all shot up and Varrick's goons were probably still looking for him in spite of Korra’s warning to back off, she had offered him one of her many spare rooms, and he had been all too eager to accept.

_ We could have grabbed breakfast, or I could have been helping Korra with the investigation. _

Either certainly would have been a better use of her time. When she hadn't been presenting her work to the shareholders, she had spent the meeting in her own head, going over potential plans. She hadn't come up with anything solid yet, but she had a few ideas.

A knock on her door startled Asami from her thoughts. She pressed a button on her desk, and a flat screen flickered to life, showing her the area outside her office. Standing there was a familiar woman, muscular arms folded across her chest, weight shifted back onto one leg as she waited. Despite her trying morning, Asami found herself smiling. Korra was a much more welcome sight than any of the stuffed shirts she had encountered so far that day.

She pressed another button, activating the hallway speakers. "Hello, Korra. Nice to see you. Please, come in."

The doors clicked open and Korra entered in a few swift strides. "Morning, Miss Sato. You haven't gotten into any more scrapes since yesterday, have you?"

"Asami, please," she insisted. "And no, unless you count almost falling asleep from boredom." At Korra's frown, she explained further. "Shareholders meeting."

Korra winced in sympathy. "Ouch. I guess it wasn't too much fun?"

"Don't make me go over it again," Asami sighed. "So, why are you here? Have you come to save me from my job?"

"Do you need saving?" Korra asked with a grin. "I was under the impression that you liked your job, Mi—uh...Asami."

"I like the inventing part," Asami explained. "Not so fond of the business part, although I can deal with it when I need to. My father taught me a lot."

"What about the security part? I was reviewing the information you forwarded me..."

"No leads, huh?" Asami sighed. "I was hoping you'd pick up something I missed. Nothing jumped out at me either."

Korra smiled. "It's true, I didn't pick up anything from the reports, but I did have a few thoughts… remember those oversized hyperdrive motivators you were showing off to me yesterday?"

“Certainly. What about them?”

“I think they’re ready to be shipped out for some field tests.”

“But they’re not. Nowhere near, in fact. I still have to work out a number of kinks in the reaction process and…” Asami’s voice trailed off as she saw the grin on Korra’s face and realized what it meant. “And that doesn’t matter, because you want somebody to attempt to steal them.”

“Yup. With all the tightening of security going on, nobody’s going to be dumb enough to try anything while they’re still at your headquarters. Hitting the the shipment while it’s in transit is a much better plan, and if you report to the rest of the corporate higher-ups that they’re being moved, maybe the mole will tell whoever they’re working for.”

“It’s certainly possible, but there’s still no guarantee the thieves will try anything. We don’t even know for sure that there is a mole.”

“No, we don’t,” Korra admitted, suddenly sounding weary. “But we don’t have a lot of other moves we can make at the moment, and I think this one’s worth a shot.”

“I think it is, too,” Asami agreed, before adding, “Is everything all right, Korra? Has there been a new development I don’t know about?”

Korra shook her head. “Not really. I mean, sort of. I called Kuvira.”

“Was that smart? It seems like talking to her might let her know she’s under investigation before we have anything solid to accuse her with.”

“I know that.” Korra paused, settling into a chair on the other side of Asami’s desk as she gathered her thoughts. Finally, she said, “I didn’t tell her I was calling about the thefts. I made it seem like I was just calling to say ‘hi’ as an old friend. Because she  _ is _ my friend, and I thought I owed her a chance to be straight with me before we assume she’s become some kind of thief.”

“So what happened when you talked?”

“Nothing. She seemed perfectly nice. But every Jedi instinct I have is screaming. I don’t know what it is, but she’s definitely hiding something from me. Maybe she’s involved in the theft. Maybe she just knows more than she’s telling the Council. I’m not sure, but it’s not good.”

“No, it isn’t,” Asami agreed. 

“I really can’t believe this is happening again,” Korra said, shaking her head. 

“A Jedi turning to the Dark Side?” Asami asked. “I know it’s a scary thought.” She was no historian, but every child knew the names of Exar Kun, and Darth Revan and Malak; former members of the Order who had nearly destroyed the Republic after they fell.

“Yeah, but it’s more than that,” Korra said, clearly upset even if she was trying not to let it show. “You mentioned Unalaq before; do you know much about him?”

“Not really. Only that he was a force user who turned to the Dark Side. He wasn’t a Jedi, though, was he?”

“No. He was my uncle.”

“Your uncle?” Asami knew she was repeating Korra’s words like a malfunctioning droid, but just then, she couldn’t think of anything more clever to say.

“I come from a small planet outside the Republic called Neot that’s been ruled by my family for generations. The Force has always been strong with us; my father has a certain amount of talent, but my uncle was much more powerful. Powerful enough that he’d been invited to join the Order when he was a boy. But he refused. He said that he wanted to stay at home and use his abilities help our people.”

“When it turned out that I was strong with the Force too, he was the one who gave me my first lessons, and when the Jedi came to recruit me, he pushed my father to refuse them. Dad didn’t though, and I left to become Master Tenzin’s apprentice, while Unalaq... He’d always been suspicious of the Jedi, but at some point after I came to Coruscant, that suspicion turned to anger, and then one day, he just vanished.”

Asami bit her lip. “Is that when he…”

“Fell? I don’t know exactly when it happened, but the next time anyone heard from him, he was claiming that the Jedi had destroyed the balance of the Force by trying to suppress the Dark Side. He’d trained a team of acolytes, and they started assassinating Jedi. At first, I couldn’t believe that my own uncle was behind something like this. I insisted the Council send me to prove it was a mistake. But it wasn’t. The man who first taught me how to use the Force was trying to destroy the Jedi, and in the end, he tried to kill me too. And now somebody else I care about may be going down the same path.”

Even though they didn't know each other well, Asami's first instinct was to offer Korra comfort. She reached out, hesitating only to make sure Korra wouldn't flinch away from her touch before placing a palm on the Jedi's shoulder. "I'm sorry. I can't understand what you're going through, but I'm sorry you have to feel this pain."

Korra took a deep breath, and for a moment, Asami thought her hand would be brushed away. Instead, Korra merely regarded her with a certain sense of resignation. "I appreciate that, but it doesn't matter. Excessive regret is a path to the dark side. My uncle made his choice, and I did what needed to be done in order to prevent more suffering. His temptation was a valuable lesson for me. Hopefully, it will keep me from making the same mistakes."

"Somehow, that sounds like someone else talking instead of Korra," Asami said. "Maybe it's not my place, but is that what your Master told you?"

To her relief, Korra wasn't offended. Instead, she offered a weak smile. "Yeah, it is. But he isn't wrong, either. I know not even a Jedi can suppress all their emotions, but we have to do our best to keep them in check. If we dwell on those negative feelings, bad things happen. I've seen it play out." She closed her eyes, and when she opened them again, they were bright with rekindled determination. "So, about those hyperdrive motivators..."

"I'll have them shipped out to one of our satellite facilities on the other side of the planet. How's that? We'll place some trackers on them, so we always know where they are. Mako could even act as a corporate security guard, so he'd be right beside them."

Korra chuckled. "He certainly wouldn't look out of place. For someone so good looking, he's sure got a grim face."

That comment made Asami's eyebrows rise high up on her forehead. "Really?" she said with interest. "I didn't think Jedi were supposed to notice that sort of thing."

"Oh, I notice." For a moment, Korra's eyes grew darker, and Asami felt a shiver course down her spine. Her face flushed, and she averted her gaze.

_ Cut it out, _ she told herself.  _ I know you think she's pretty, but she's not hitting on you. She was uncertain about you just yesterday, and besides, she's a Jedi. _

"...but like I said, I can't do anything about it. A Jedi's family and loved ones could be used against them pretty easily. Better for everyone if they don't have them."

"Of course," Asami agreed. "So, the plan—"

"Well from what I saw yesterday, I want you as our driver," Korra chipped in. "It's probably better if I'm not with the motivators anyway. We can follow behind the transport shuttle, and Mako will be in there to make sure nothing else goes wrong before we arrive. Sound good?"

"Sounds perfect," Asami said, with growing excitement. There was no guarantee that the plan would work, or that an attempt would even be made on the motivators, but it looked pretty promising from where she was standing. "I should be able to get them shipped out late tomorrow evening. Is that soon enough?"

"If you think that will give our potential mole time to read the information. Meanwhile, I'll drop by the station and tell Chief Beifong about the plan. As much as I hate to admit it, if we want Mako’s help, we have to go through her."


	5. Chapter 5

“Is everyone good to go?” Korra asked.

“The motivators are loaded and secured in the transport,” Asami said from the driver’s seat. Even though they weren’t in motion yet, her fingers were already wrapped around the control sticks. The right side was perfectly polished in red, while the left was sheathed in her glowing electric glove. “I’ve sent the route to our secondary facility to Mako.”

A second later, Korra heard Mako’s voice come over the comm. “I’ve got it, Asami. The transport is ready whenever you are.”

“And Bolin?”

“I’m set too,” Bolin chimed in. “Man, this is exciting. Here we are, running a real sting operation with a Jedi, trying to catch a ring of dangerous pirates! It doesn’t get much cooler than that.”

Korra grinned. She couldn’t help but appreciate Bolin’s enthusiasm for their mission, especially considering that most civilians would be terrified under the circumstances. “All right, it is kind of exciting, but we need to keep cool. This could get dangerous. Mako, get the transport moving, and we’ll follow behind you.”

“But not too close,” Asami reminded her. “We don’t want whoever might be watching to know that this shipment has a Jedi escort.” There was something thrilling about the way Asami said the word  _ Jedi _ , even though her tone was as professional as one could wish for. 

_How does she do that?_ Korra wondered. _I don’t think it’s even deliberate._ She shook her head. She could practically hear Master Tenzin warning her to be mindful of her feelings. Romance wasn’t an option for a Jedi, especially one from whom the Council expected such great things. She was here to do a job, nothing more.

A moment later, the cargo transit in front of them took off from the landing pad and lifted into the crowded skyscape of Coruscant. Its cylindrical body made it look a bit like a giant, flying lightsaber shaft, at least if parts of it had been painted yellow. Asami waited until it had become little more than a line before taking off; it was all right if they fell a bit behind. Thanks to the tracking device planted on-board, there was no chance of losing it.

Asami’s skycar followed at a safe distance, weaving through traffic until she reached the higher lanes reserved for longer-distance travel. Even at that elevation, there was no shortage of other vehicles, any of which could contain their thieves.

_ If there even are any coming, _ Korra thought. There was no guarantee that anyone would make an attempt on their shipment, and a small part of Korra hoped that no one would. A mole at Future Industries would mean a friend, or at least a colleague of Asami’s was involved in this crime. Asami had been sympathetic about Kuvira and her uncle, and Korra didn’t want the heiress to go through the same kind of pain.

Over the comm line, she heard Bolin’s voice once more. “So, Mako, what exactly are we supposed to do on a stakeout? Drink bad ithorian coffee? Tell war stories? Or maybe dirty jokes?”

“I think you’ve been watching too many of your own vids,” Mako replied with the tone of someone who’d answered plenty of those questions over the years. “There’s nothing wrong with sitting here quietly.”

As it turned out, neither brother got their wish. A second later, a dark skycar sped past them in one of the parallel lanes, engines whining loudly. It came so swiftly and suddenly that Asami had to swerve to avoid a crash. She veered right, hanging back a little as their uninvited guests pulled up alongside the transport shuttle.

"I think we've got trouble," Korra said over the comm link.

"Definitely," Asami agreed. "That sky car screams 'pirate'. It's a souped up hunk of junk with fresh new mods, useful but disposable if you have to make a fast getaway."

Korra was impressed. "You got all that from the split second it almost rammed us?"

Asami didn't answer. She was fully concentrating on her piloting, pulling around to the other side of the transport shuttle. Korra took that as her cue to prepare as well. She closed her eyes, taking in a single meditative breath before drawing her lightsaber. She didn't want Mako and Bolin to have to fight on their own any longer than necessary.

After her blade came to life, things happened quickly. The dark sky car latched on to the side of the transport shuttle with what appeared to be a pair of magnetic docking strips. Sparks flew—a sign that the pirates were cutting their way straight through the hull.

"What'd I tell you?" Asami said. "Modifications. Hold on tight, the top's coming down." She pressed one of the buttons on the dash, and the top of their skycar pulled back and out of the way. Wind blasted Korra's face, and her ears rang with the sound of speeding traffic. Despite the watering in her eyes, she unfastened her safety harness.

For an instant before jumping, she looked down. The buildings of Coruscant seemed small enough to fit in her hand, and the height was dizzying, and yet thrilling at the same time. Master Tenzin sometime cautioned her about her recklessness, but Bolin was right; this was fun.

By now, the sparks had stopped, and it looked as if some of the pirates were already climbing aboard the transport shuttle. "Get ready!" Asami shouted above the howling wind. "I'm pulling in!"

The skycar dove, dipping gracefully under the transport shuttle and coming up on the other side, right next to the pirates. Korra's stomach barely finished lurching before they saw her. Only two were visible as they scampered out into the transport, one human and one twi'lek, judging by the shape of their helmets. She didn't get more than a moment to confirm that impression  before they had their blasters in hand, firing in her direction.

She leapt just in time. The shots missed her as she jumped from the edge of Asami's skycar to theirs, landing on the hood with a thud. She swung her lightsaber toward the shoulder of the nearest pirate, hoping to disable instead of kill, but there wasn't much to be done. As soon as her blade hissed through his flesh, he screamed and lost his balance, tumbling off the side of the car and falling down toward the glittering lights below.

Korra didn't have time to feel any sympathy. The other pirate was already shooting at her, and three more were now visible inside the hold of the transport. She deflected the shots with two deft motions, sending the bolts off into the void and the twi’lek who’d fired them scampering into the transport in search of backup.

She dove through the hole in the hull without hesitation, rolling up to find that a firefight was already in progress. Mako and Bolin were at one end of the cargo hold, exchanging shots with the other three pirates, each group shielded by their own collection of shipping containers.

The distraction made their response to the twi’lek’s shout of, “Incoming,” too slow. The nearest pirate, a burly man with a blaster carbine, didn’t manage to turn it on Korra until she was already mid-swing. The first swipe of her blade cut his weapon in half before the second caught his shoulder, burning through the armor with ease.

He fell to the deck clutching at the wound, and by then, Korra was already rounding on her next opponent. The twi’lek she’d followed managed to get off a pair of shots before she closed, but the first one was wild and she easily deflected the second one. He tried to retreat, but she was too fast. Her lightsaber sliced through his leg armor, carving a deep gash that left him writhing in pain.

The next pirate was faster. By the time Korra had turned her attention to him, he had already drawn a long sword and when her lightsaber met the blade, it didn’t melt on impact.  _ It must contain cortosis weave _ . The enhancement was a pricey one, and spoke to the caliber of the man she was facing.

It was an impression soon confirmed. With a snarl, he went on the offensive, raining a series of blows down on Korra that were fast without sacrificing anything in the way of power. Her Jedi reflexes kept any of them from striking home, but she gave ground as he attacked, sacrificing space to get a better read on his style. It was clear that the man had been trained by someone who knew what they were doing, perhaps even someone skilled in the Jedi arts.

_ Kuvira? _

Korra banished the thought from her head for the moment; she could ask the man who’d trained him after he’d been incapacitated. His assault had driven her almost to one of the giant hyperdrive motivators and, thinking that he had her pinned, he made a powerful swing at her midsection. Rather than try to block it however, she flipped backward, balancing herself gracefully on the narrow top of the object behind her. His sword slammed into its hard outer casing with a resounding clang, and while he was temporarily stunned by the impact, she reached out with one hand, using the Force to hurl him across the cargo hold and into a wall.

The last pirate standing, a short twi’lek woman, tried using Korra’s distraction to sneak in a shot at her, but the decision proved to be her undoing. In shifting her position to get a better angle, she had opened herself up, allowing Mako to step out from behind his own cover and tag her with his blaster before she could fire.

Almost as swiftly as the battle had started, it was over. The pirates were sprawled across the ground with various injuries, and none of them seemed able to get up. Korra hopped down from her perch, landing gracefully on the deck. She activated her comm link, speaking into her wrist. "Hey, Asami. The situation is under control. Let's bring these birds down."

"Roger that. There's an exit coming up. It's a miracle there haven’t been any accidents."

Korra felt the transport around her groan as it shifted, but she ignored it. Instead, she refocused on the pirates. While Bolin had headed back into the cockpit to land the transport, Mako had gathered them into a haphazard pile, holding them at blaster point. Most of them were clutching their wounds, but the skilled swordsman Korra had sparred with earlier seemed relatively alert. He narrowed his eyes at her, and his upper lip lifted in a sneer.

"So," Korra said, giving a glare of her own, "which one of you wants to tell me who your boss is?"

None of the pirates answered. The ones who could looked toward the large swordsman in the center, and the others continued groaning dramatically. "None of your business, Jedi," he spat. "I'm not telling you anything."

"Oh, really?" Korra deactivated her lightsaber, tucking it back in her belt. "Are you sure? I'll make sure you get a nice comfy cell in prison if you talk. If you don't..." She aimed a suggestive glance over toward the hole in the wall. Traffic was still whipping by outside, and she could see a glimpse of Asami's red skycar sailing alongside them.

The pirate wasn't impressed. He snorted, rolling his eyes. "Yeah, right. Jedi don't do that kind of thing."

Korra frowned. Apparently, this guy wasn't going to spill unless she pressed a little harder. She clenched her fingers into a fist, tapping into the Force deep enough to lift him off the ground by the throat. She didn't cut off his air, but she did enjoy the shocked look on his face and the way his legs kicked a little more than she probably should have. Tenzin definitely wouldn't approve.

_ But Tenzin isn't here, and I need answers. _

With a grunt, she swung his body over toward the hole in the side of the transport. "Hey, put me down!" he shouted, his eyes widening in fear. "Isn't this against your code or something?"

Korra smirked. "I like to think of the Code as more like… guidelines." She pushed him a little closer to the opening, near enough for him to see the long drop to the ground and feel the wind on his face, and he began struggling in earnest. "I'll give you another chance. Who are you working for?"

"All right, all right! Put me down and I'll talk!"

Korra brought him back to the middle of the cargo hold and set him down on the floor. "Okay. Start spilling."

"Damn, you're almost as nerve-burnt as  _ she _ is," the swordsman sputtered. "Just promise me you'll actually put me in prison. If I'm talking, I'm not going back there."

Korra was immediately suspicious. "Who is  _ she _ ?" she asked, brow furrowing.

"Another Jedi named Kuvira. Mother of moons, she's something else." He shook his head, and a shudder passed through him, spreading to the rest of the pirates who were listening in. "Look, we don't know much about her other than that she wants this tech. She outfitted us with gear, gave us a few training sessions, and paid us to go pick up whatever stuff she needs. That's all I know, I swear."

"I bet you know more than that," Mako said, keeping his blaster trained on the pirate's head, just in case he decided to make a move. "Where is she operating from?"

"I don’t know everything’s she’d up to" the man said, “But the base we were trained at was a small space station in Jaga’s Cluster in the Outer Rim. I can give you the coordinates. Now, about that prison cell? I really am going there, right?"

Despite the slowly growing hole in her chest, Korra smiled. "Oh, don't worry. You were always going there." At that moment, the transport touched down onto a landing dock, and the sound of the engines cut off. "You were right before. Real Jedi  _ don't _ do that."  _ At least, they aren't supposed to. This is looking worse and worse for Kuvira... _

Lost in her concern, it was left to Bolin, returning from the cockpit, to give voice to her feelings. “So, it looks like Kuvira’s guilty.”

“Yeah, I guess it does,” Korra said, unable to keep the resignation out of her voice.

As she shrugged, they were joined by Asami, vaulting into the hold through the crack in the hull. Somehow, the high-speed drive had managed to make her look even better than usual, blowing back her dark hair to expose the curve of her neck. She took a moment to look the defeated pirates up and down and gave an approving nod. “Seems like you made short work of them.”

“Yeah, we did,” Bolin said, excitement still shining on his broad face. “But mostly it was Korra. You should’ve seen her, Asami. It was amazing. I mean, the thing in my apartment was pretty cool, but this was even better. First, she dives in, and then she cuts the one guy’s gun in half, and then before the next guy can even…”

“I think she gets the picture,” Mako interjected with an aggravated sigh. “The important thing is that these guys have confirmed that Kuvira is behind the thefts, and what’s more, they’ve given us the coordinates of one of her bases.”

“So it seems our next move it to head to this base.”

“Yeah, that sounds like a plan,” Korra agreed. “We know that Kuvira’s behind the thefts, but we still don’t know why she’s doing it.”  _ Maybe there’s a good reason for everything she’s done. Some reason she had to hide from me and the rest of the Jedi. _

“We’d do well to keep our travel plans quiet,” Asami pointed out. “As much as I hate to admit it, it seems that there  _ is _ an insider at Future Industries tipping off Kuvira. No one outside of the upper ranks of the corporation had access to our schedule today, and since I’ve confirmed there hasn’t been an intrusion into our computer systems, it’s the only possible way we’ve could’ve been hit like this.”

“Maybe they just gave the schedule to Baatar without knowing what him and Kuvira were going to do with it” Korra suggested. “They were supposed to be helping you out with security, weren’t they?”

“They were, but I made sure to mention in the memo that this information wasn’t to be shared with anyone outside the corporation, regardless of who they were. It’s possible someone ignored my instructions, thinking they were helping by giving it to Baatar, but it seems unlikely.”

“Yeah, it probably is.” _Just like my hope that Kuvira’s actions can somehow be justified._ _We’ve gotta face reality, no matter how ugly it is._ “Travelling quietly shouldn’t be a problem. I can get a ship from the Jedi Council without anybody at Future Industries knowing.”

“And I’ll take this sorry crew back to headquarters,” Mako said. “The chief needs to be updated on all of this anyway.”

“Yeah, so does Tenzin,” Korra agreed, though without much enthusiasm. She was looking forward to telling her master about this debacle almost as little as she was anticipating seeing Kuvira again.


	6. Chapter 6

Asami squeezed the control sticks a little tighter as she piloted the small transport ship the Jedi Council had loaned them closer to their destination. The station loomed over her despite its distance, dark grey and ominous, blotting out the bright pinpricks of the stars behind it. She couldn't see any other ships on her radar, but still, she was cautious. A station like this was bound to have incoming and outgoing traffic, and she didn't want to use the guns on her ship unless she had to.

Beside her, her companions were also tense. Mako's narrow jaw was bunched with worry and Bolin had decided to skip the chatter for once, while Korra's face was fixed, her eyes determined, and Asami wondered if she was thinking about Kuvira. However nervous Asami was, she knew Korra had to feel worse.

Still, she couldn't help but admire Korra's resolve.  _ I don't know what I'd do if I found out someone I cared about was behind something like this. _

"Okay," she breathed, partially to herself and partially to her silent companions. "I'm taking us in. Let's hope they can't pick us up with the cloaking device active." It was top of the line, a product she had worked on herself in her spare time, but there was still a certain amount of risk. A nearby pilot could see them in realspace and some torpedoes' tracking systems wouldn't be fooled either.

As they approached the station, though, all seemed to be well. There weren't any other ships visible and everything remained silent. Asami sped up, circling around toward the rear of the station. She was close enough to see its hull, which was surprisingly sleek and secure for something supposedly cobbled together by pirates.

"Are you sure you should be flying this close?" Mako asked.

"Yeah," Bolin added. "What if someone looks out a window and sees us?"

"Proper space stations don't have windows," Asami told him. "It's a structural weakness."

Her confidence didn't last long. At that moment, a trio of small snub fighters pulled around the back of the station from the other side. Asami could tell the moment they spotted her, because the ones on the end fanned out to either side while the center ship started heading straight for her.

Asami didn't hesitate. If the enemy got a clean targeting lock, they'd all end up spaced, if they didn't get blown up completely. Instead of trying to circle around the more maneuverable fighters, she flew upwards, looping over them instead. The middle fighter fired several blasts at her, but she veered right, skirting around them.

"Guess we got unlucky," Korra said. She was clutching her lightsaber, although there wasn't much she could do with it at the moment. "Can you get us out of this, Asami?"

Although she was nervous, Asami tried to cover it up with confidence. "I get excellent scores on all my simulations. I can handle this."

"Wait," Korra said as Asami pulled into a dive, sweeping under the belly of the middle fighter. "You've only done simulations? You've never been in an actual dogfight before?"

Asami kept her cool. As the fighter banked to face her, she waited for the perfect moment. When it came, she fired, clipping it right on the left wing and sending it spinning out into space. "Well, now I have. Thanks for the vote of confidence, by the way."

“Sorry, I was just thinking I could take over if you need…”

Korra didn’t get a chance to finish her offer. The left fighter was making a pass at them, and Asami banked hard, trying to pull out of the way of its attack. She wasn’t entirely successful. One of its shots clipped the side of the transport, making it jerk violently. The rest of the crew lurched in their seats, and Asami felt a tightening in her chest. That was one thing the simulators could never prepare you for: the knowledge that another mistake could get not only yourself but your friends killed. Gritting her teeth, Asami checked the shield indicators. For now at least, they were holding strong.  _ At least the Jedi Council gave us a pretty good ship. _

The other remaining fighter was closing fast, and she juked repeatedly, trying to keep it from getting a clean firing solution. Her enemy did their best to follow her movements, a fact that she had been counting on. Once they were nearly on top of each other, Asami stopped trying to avoid the fighter and instead aimed the transport directly at it, firing the laser canons at its center mass.

The fighter exploded in a shower of orange sparks that filled their windshield as they flew through it,  but there was no time for Asami to be satisfied with herself. The last enemy had turned, getting behind her and opening fire once more.  From his seat, Bolin yelled, “Duck! Duck! Duck!” and she tried her best to do just that, rolling hard to the right. She managed to avoid most of the shots, but one of them struck the ship’s belly, making Asami wince at the impact. The shield power indicator lights had changed from a comforting blue to a threatening red, letting her know that taking any more hits would be ill-advised.

Even worse, she could now see movement on the outside of the space station. A panel along its hull was sliding open, revealing a battery of torpedo launchers that could turn their ship into dust in a matter of seconds. She had to end this  _ now _ and so Asami abruptly cut the engines, allowing the fighter behind her to speed past. Before the enemy pilot could correct his error, Asami had locked on, and a burst of laser fire sent the last fighter spinning off into space.

“Uh, Asami, I don’t know if you noticed, but whoever’s running this place seems to have noticed that we’re...”

“I realize that, Mako,” Asami snapped back, “I’m a little busy just now.” The hangar they had been heading to wasn’t very far away and Asami banked hard toward it. The door outside was beginning to close, and she said, “Hold on, this may be a close one.”

She slammed on the auxiliary thrusters, pouring everything the ship had in an attempt to get inside before they turned into a smear on the station’s hull. She could see it closing, but fortunately, the door wasn’t too fast. She pulled to the right, aiming for the last patch of open space, and though the fit was narrower than she would’ve liked, by the time the massive gate had slammed shut, their shuttle was safely on the other side of it.  They were now inside a mid-sized hangar that contained several more of the small fighters, these ones empty. As she set their transport down, she finally allowed herself to take a deep breath.

“Great job, Asami,” Korra said from the seat next to her.

“It was hardly clean,” she replied, trying to regain her internal balance, “but we made it.”

“Hey, any landing you can walk away from,” Bolin pointed out.

She didn't get much time to savor her victory. A large door on the far side of the hangar opened and a formation of soldiers marched in. They wore sleek black uniforms and matching helmets, making Asami do a double take. These were definitely  _ not _ the pirates she had been expecting.

The others were similarly surprised. "Who are these guys?" Bolin asked as he hurried to unfasten his safety harness.

Korra frowned. "I'm not sure, but they don't look friendly." She unfastened her own harness, activating her lightsaber with a soft hiss.

Asami considered keeping her hand on the ship's firing controls, but after a glance around the hangar, she decided against it. Firing weapons of that power inside of a space station was a recipe for disaster, no matter how cool it looked in the holo vids. Instead, she checked her glove and fumbled for her blaster as the squadron of soldiers surrounded their ship.

One of them spoke through his helmet, his voice hissing and crackling over the internal comm. "Intruders: you will exit the ship and surrender yourselves immediately. This will be your only warning."

"Be advised that you will be firing on an officer of the Coruscant Security Force," Mako replied. "That violates several galactic statutes—"

As a unit, the soldiers raised their blasters, pointing them at the side of the ship.

"I don't think that's going to work, Mako," Bolin muttered nervously from the side of his mouth.

"Then we'll have to do this the hard way," Asami said. "Get ready. I'm dropping the top." She opened the ship's hatch with a slam of her hand on the button, hopping out and ducking down around the other side to take cover. Mako and Bolin followed her, but Korra leapt out the other way—straight into the group of soldiers.

Unlike Varrick's goons or some of the pirates, they didn't seem impressed by her lightsaber, firing immediately. Korra blocked the first volley with a sweep of her blade, ducking out of the way of the wider shots. But there were at least eight soldiers, and Asami didn’t know just how places Korra's lightsaber could be in at once.

"Cover her," she shouted to Mako and Bolin, popping up over the side of the ship. She took aim and fired, clipping one of the soldiers on the shoulder just as they started to fire again. They pulled back, but didn't fall or drop their weapons. Apparently, their armor offered a fair amount of protection from blaster fire. The eight soldiers began to close in around Korra, but she stood steady, both hands folded around the grip of her lightsaber.

Without thinking it through, Asami clambered back into the ship. She hadn't wanted to use its guns, but desperate times called for desperate measures. She needed something stronger to penetrate that armor, and she didn't see any other options. She grabbed the controls, veering the transport around to face the squadron.

That finally got their attention. The soldiers began to back away, but Asami was faster. She jabbed her thumbs into the controls and started firing, sending several blasts streaking toward the squadron. A couple of the soldiers were hit, and the rest of them scattered, giving Korra the opening she needed. She went for the soldier on the end, taking him down with a thrust of her lightsaber. It cut through his armor easily and he crumpled to the floor.

Once Korra had begun her attack, she was a whirlwind. She moved from soldier to soldier, her lightsaber slicing through them swiftly. Mako and Bolin did their best to help out, but their blasters were no more effective than Asami’s had been, stunning but not taking out the soldiers they hit. Fortunately, their help wasn’t necessary. At such close range, the enemy’s numbers were as much a hindrance as an advantage, and even when it seemed that one of them had a clear shot at Korra’s back, she already knew they were there.  Korra spun halfway around, raising her hand and hurling the man into a parked fighter with a powerful thrust of the Force.

As she cut through the soldiers, it was clear that in their previous battles, she had been taking it easy. Now, she was unleashing the full range of her skills, and it was incredible to observe. Asami sucked in her breath at the sight, and she couldn’t stop her gaze from lingering. It wasn’t just Korra’s skill that was impressive, it was the poetry in the way that she fought. For her, it seemed as if battle was a dance, and her enemies were clumsy oafs, two steps behind its rhythms at all times.

Even as the last of the soldiers was crashing to the floor from a blow to the chest, Korra was deactivating her lightsaber. She tucked it back into her belt with a flourish, and looked up to Asami with a smile on her face. “Nice shot there.”

Asami climbed out of the cockpit, joining the rest of the team on the hangar deck. “I thought you were in trouble, but it seems you hardly needed my help.”

“Well, I still appreciate it,” Korra said brightly. “These guys weren’t half bad. Kuvira or whoever else trained them well.”

“And equipped them well too,” Mako added. “That armor was really blunting our shots.”

“Good thing we had a Jedi on our side,” Bolin said, making an enthusiastic chopping motion intended to mimic Korra’s fighting style.

The Jedi in question suddenly seemed distracted though, furrowing her brow and staring into the distance at something none of the rest of them could see. “What’s wrong?” Asami asked.

“I’m feeling a disturbance,” Korra said. “There’s definitely another Force user here on the station.”

“Is it Kuvira?” Mako asked.

“I think so, but it’s a little hard to tell. If it is her, something’s changed.”

“Well, let’s go get her,” Bolin said.

“No.” Korra drew her lightsaber once more. “You’re not coming. A dark Jedi is more than any of you are ready to take on. Besides, if I get in trouble, I need someone to hop back in the ship and go alert the Council to Kuvira’s activities.”

“We’re not going to stay here,” Mako protested. 

“No,” Asami agreed, “We’re not. While Korra’s looking for Kuvira, why don’t we see if we can find something here that will tell us more about her plans?”

Korra nodded. “Good idea. I’ll be on the comms if you need any help.”

“We will be too,” Asami said. As powerful as Korra seemed to be, she could still get into trouble, and as their battle in the hangar had proven, Asami seemed to have an urge to stop that from happening.

_ Watch yourself,  _ she thought as Korra headed off down one of the corridors out of the hangar.  _ You’re not supposed to be developing feelings here, especially not for a Jedi. _

* * *

Korra kept her eyes and ears open, but it wasn't those senses she followed as she crept through the shining chrome halls of the space station. Kuvira  _ was _ nearby. She felt more sure of it with every step she took, and though the knowledge set her gut churning, she remained determined. This had to stop. It didn't matter what Kuvira's reasons were, or that they had once been friends. Kuvira had made her choice, and Korra was prepared to make her own.

Still, deep within her heart, Korra couldn't help hoping that their confrontation wouldn't end in battle. Perhaps there was still a little of the light left in Kuvira. It wasn't unheard of for Jedi seduced to the Dark Side of the Force to express regret for their actions. At the very least, she would offer Kuvira the chance to surrender peacefully before engaging her.

The sound of nearby footsteps put her on edge as she approached the next corridor, but she didn't panic. Instead, she pressed her back flat against the wall, waiting and watching. A line of soldiers in that same shiny black armor marched by, obviously heading toward the hangar by a more straightforward path. Their blasters were drawn, and Korra felt a stab of worry.

As soon as the last figure disappeared from view, she activated her communicator and whispered into it. "Asami, there's a group of ten headed your way. Be careful."

Asami's voice came back over the comm a moment later.  _ "Right. We're out of the hangar and searching the left side of the station first. Any sign of Kuvira?" _

"Not yet, but she isn't far. Korra out."

The silence of the hall felt more constricting as the comm shut off again, and Korra found that she missed the sound of Asami's voice. To her surprise, she had found it comforting.

After one more peek to make sure no new guards were coming, she crept into the passage the last group had vacated. It was wider than the first one she had taken, and it ran forward with a subtle curve. That made sense. From what she could tell, the station was made up of two rings—a large one on the outside and a smaller one inside. The hangar was on one side of the outer ring, and she had just passed over to the inner one. That was where Kuvira was waiting for her. She was sure of it...

The back of Korra's neck prickled, and her shoulders tensed in preparation. She couldn't hear anything, but her instincts were screaming at her. She was being watched, and it wasn't by someone friendly.

She brought her lightsaber up just in time. A shadow surged toward her from behind one of the support beams, lit only by a flash of crimson. Korra blocked, but barely. Her blade hissed as it clashed with the red beam, and she found herself staring into Kuvira's familiar face. It wasn't full of rage, rather her expression was cold and determined, as if she was resigned to this fight.

Korra disengaged quickly, skipping out of arm's reach. Kuvira didn't pursue her with another leap. Instead, she walked forward at a slow, steady pace.

"Come on, Kuvira," Korra said, watching her former friend’s approach with narrowed eyes. "We don't have to do this. You weren’t trying to kill me with that attack or else you would’ve hid your presence before you struck. What do you want?"

"I want to talk," Kuvira said. To Korra's surprise, she lowered her lightsaber to waist level, although she didn't retract it. "You're right, we don't need to fight. The two of us were friends once."

Korra didn't show Kuvira the same trust. She kept her blade up high to protect her chest, tightening her fingers on the grip. "Then what are you doing here? You're supposed to be taking these pirates down, not leading them! I talked to one of them. He said you trained him."

"The pirates are only a small part of my Master's force. They have their uses, but they're expendable."

A chill raced down Korra's spine at the word 'Master'. She knew Kuvira certainly wasn't talking about Master Tenzin or anyone else at the Jedi temple. "And just what is this ‘Master’ of yours doing with these forces? What do they want?"

"You, to start," Kuvira said. "You're a powerful Jedi, Korra—as strong as me…or you would be, if you had access to the knowledge I now possess."

Korra could feel that there was a measure of truth behind Kuvira’s words. Her fellow apprentice had always been strong in the Force, but now, she felt more powerful than ever, a power than sprang from the Dark Side of the Force.  _ But that’s not the point _ . “Why would I ever join up with you?” Korra demanded, the blade of her lightsaber not wavering in the slightest.

“Because you know all about the flaws of the Republic, just like I do.”  Kuvira took two steps backward and gesturing dramatically in the direction of the rest of the Galaxy.  “Out here, in the Outer Rim, there’s chaos. Countless star systems are left to fend for themselves.  They fall prey to pirates, or Hutt gangsters, or Mandalorians, and as long as it doesn’t disturb the interests of the bureaucrats back on Coruscant, nothing is done. Not by the Republic and not by the Jedi.”

“That’s not fair,” Korra protested. “The Jedi can’t be everywhere at once. We do our best.”

“But it’s not enough. Do I really have to remind you of the Mirial incident?  How their self-styled ‘Queen’ murdered hundreds of thousands of her own people just because she thought they  _ might _ be a threat to her rule? How the Republic refused to become involved until she started raiding  _ their _ shipping lanes? And how even after the Jedi were sent in, they couldn’t stop her from burning down her own capital in a final act of madness, killing countless more innocents before she was captured? Wandering around, putting out fires when they spring up is not enough to bring real security,” Kuvira continued. “The galaxy needs a strong hand to control it, a hand that my Master and I will provide.”

As she spoke Kuvira’s face had been tightening, twisted by the same anger Korra could hear in her voice. This seemed personal to her somehow. Kuvira had never talked about her life before meeting Suyin, but Korra found herself wondering if whatever she had gone through had something to do with the choices she had made. But whatever her motivations, they mattered less than figuring out what she was up to now.

“Who is this Master of yours?” Korra asked.

Kuvira smirked.  “That, you will have to wait to find out until you’re ready.  Until I truly believe that you’re willing to embrace what he has to teach you. Until then, I can start you on the path.”

“Then we may be waiting a long time.” Korra shook her head. “Kuvira, you’re not wrong about some of this. There’s a lot of stuff wrong with the galaxy, and maybe the Senate and Jedi Council should be doing more about it. But joining the Dark Side isn’t the solution, and if you think it is, then we’ve got a big problem.”

“I’d hoped you’d see reason.”  In a flash, Kuvira’s lightsaber was in her hand, its blade glowing red. “But in truth, I’m hardly surprised. You never were much for Master Tenzin’s lectures. You always had to be  _ shown _ the truth before you’d understand. So let me show you what you’re turning down.”

_ It doesn’t matter what’s brought her to this point. Friend or not, I have to do my duty. _ Korra dropped into a combat stance, leveling her blade toward Kuvira and setting her shoulders.  “Go on then, Kuvira. Give it your best shot.”


	7. Chapter 7

The ferocity of Kuvira’s initial attack didn’t surprise Korra. The other Jedi’s style had always been as aggressive as her own—she’d lost count of how many times Master Tenzin had told them to mind their defences while sparring, or how many bruises they’d accumulated during those same matches. Still, it was no less effective for being anticipated. Korra found herself falling back in the face of Kuvira’s powerful strikes, straining to keep up with their pace.

She was nearly pressed against one of the walls when she finally made her stand. Kuvira brought her blade down in an overhand swing and Korra met it with her own saber, the blue and red energies blending together as they clashed. She could see the muscles on Kuvira’s face tense with effort, but the arrogant smirk didn’t leave her lips.

“Just like old time, eh, Korra?”

Korra grunted and pushed the red blade up with her own, and while Kuvira was trying to readjust, she lashed out with her foot.  A kick to the shin sent Kuvira stumbling backwards, and Korra adopted a grim smile of her own. “Yeah, and you still don’t remember to guard your legs.”

Kuvira flipped backward ahead of Korra’s follow-up slice at her midsection, and when she landed a few meters away, she laughed. “Perhaps not. But I  _ have _ picked up a few new tricks since those days in the training rooms.”

Even as Korra moved to follow, Kuvira was raising a gloved hand. Bolts of blue lightning flew out from her fingertips, and Korra barely raised her lightsaber in time to block them. The blade absorbed the bulk of the attack, but she could still feel her muscles twitch from the potent Dark Side energy. Still, she managed to hold her guard, and when Kuvira relented, Korra asked, “Do you really think that’s enough to beat me?”

“Sure you’re going to win, are you?” Kuvira raised her saber again with a flourish. “Why? Because you’re the Chosen One, destined to win a great victory over the Dark Side?”

“Something like that.”  Korra advanced, swinging at Kuvira’s right arm. “I just never thought it would be you I’d have to stop.”

Kuvira halted her retreat, planting her feet and locking sabers with Korra. “How are you sure you didn’t already win it, when we beat your uncle? Maybe destiny is done with you.”

For a millisecond, Korra felt her confidence waver, but she did her best not to let it show, instead raising a hand and thrusting at Kuvira with the Force. Kuvira skidded toward the wall before pushing back with her own strength. She was more powerful than ever and it was everything Korra could do to keep her from getting the upper hand in their struggle.

This time, it was Kuvira’s turn to attack on multiple fronts. She gestured at a lighting fixture on the wall, and it tore off of its mountings. Korra didn’t quite spin quickly enough, slicing the object apart, but taking a glancing blow to her shoulder from one of the pieces as they flew past her. That gave Kuvira the upper hand in their struggle, and a wave of renewed effort from her sent Korra tumbling across the metal floor.

But Kuvira got too aggressive in her attempt to press the advantage. She leapt across the room, but Korra was able to roll under her lightsaber before it struck the floor, coming up behind Kuvira as she landed. Kuvira whirled around, still off-balance when Korra thrust with the Force, sending her opponent crashing backward into the wall.

The blow knocked the wind out of Kuvira. She slid down to the floor and slumped over, momentarily stunned. Korra knew she should leap in and try to finish the fight—she wouldn't get a better chance—but something in her heart stayed her hand. Despite the evidence right in front of her, she still didn't want to believe that Kuvira was beyond redemption. "It doesn't have to be this way, Kuvira," Korra said, not lowering her saber, but not attacking with it either. "Give yourself up peacefully. We can fix this."

"You still don't understand," Kuvira said, glaring up at her with burning eyes. "I'm not what needs to be fixed. This Galaxy is rotting from the inside out, and  _ you _ need to accept the truth." She launched herself up from her crouched position in a blur, and Korra brought her saber up to guard just in time. They clashed again, and Korra found herself being pushed back. She cursed herself forgiving Kuvira one final chance—it was a mistake she wouldn't make again.

She twirled, aiming for Kuvira's midsection with a backhanded slice of her saber, but Kuvira knocked it aside easily, thrusting for her chest. Korra dodged—barely. Kuvira's entire body was coursing with the power of the Force, and she seemed to be moving twice as fast as before. The two of them fought their way across the hall, until Korra realized she had lost all the ground she'd gained earlier. Her back was nearly against the wall, and it was all she could do to avoid Kuvira's strikes. Their blades hissed and sizzled every time they crashed and sparks flew before Korra's eyes.

The next sweep came too fast for her to avoid. Kuvira aimed for her shoulder, the same one the light fixture had injured earlier, and Korra couldn't twist away in time. She screamed as slicing heat seared into her skin, eating through her sleeve and blistering the flesh beneath. It was a shallow cut, but it burned terribly, and her vision blurred with pain. She tried to reach inside herself as Tenzin had taught her and push through the pain, but she found only anger.

"Yes," Kuvira said, pushing her back against the wall. "I can feel your anger, Korra. You'll be so much more powerful if you  _ use _ it instead of suppressing it. There are good reasons to be angry. By refusing to acknowledge that, the Jedi turn a blind eye to suffering and make themselves weak."

"This isn't a lesson," Korra snarled. She struck again and again despite the fire in her arm, but Kuvira managed to knock all the blows aside, keeping her trapped. "You aren't my teacher. And I'll never join the Dark Side."

"Then you are of no use to me."

Kuvira raised her saber but before she could bring  down, a loud shout came from the other end of the hallway. "Korra!"

Korra spotted three figures charging in just over Kuvira's shoulder—Asami in the lead, with Mako and Bolin covering her from a few paces back. They began firing at Kuvira, and she was forced to turn, scattering the blasts with her saber.

That gave Korra enough time to regain the advantage. She struck at Kuvira from behind, no longer hesitant, and it was Kuvira's turn to scream as the back of her shirt and the skin beneath were burned. Kuvira stumbled back, panting in pain, but she was still close enough for Korra to see fear in her wide, white eyes.

"Give up, Kuvira," Korra said. "We've got you outnumbered."

Kuvira shook her head, anger twisting her face around her smile. "This isn't over, Korra. We'll finish this later—just the two of us." Then, with almost inhuman speed, she whirled and rushed off down the corridor and around a corner, disappearing from sight.

“Come on,” Bolin yelled out, “We can’t let her get away!”

Mako shook his head. “We don’t have a choice. There’s no way we’re going to catch her before she can find reinforcements, and besides, Korra’s hurt.”

“I’m okay,” she protested, gritting her teeth, but she added, “you’re right, though. If Kuvira comes back with another few squads of her soldiers, we’re going to be in serious trouble.”

Asami nodded. “All right then. We’d better get out of here while we still can.”

“How are we going to do that?” Korra asked. “They locked that hangar down pretty tight right after we got inside and I doubt the ship’s guns can punch through those blast doors.”

“They won’t have to,” Bolin said. “Asami took care of it.”

“Their command center was too well guarded for us to get into, but we found a terminal I was able to access,” Asami explained. “I downloaded what files I could and disabled the lockdown protocols on the hangar before we came looking for you. They’ll be able to override my hack once they realize what I did, but hopefully that will take a little while.”

“Okay, then,” Korra said. “Let’s get moving before that happens.”

“What about your shoulder?” Asami asked. “That looks painful.”

She began rummaging in her coat, presumably for medical supplies, but Korra simply said, “I can manage the pain.” She closed her eyes, letting the Force flow through her, replacing the hurt with a sense of inner calm. It was hard to find her equilibrium, though the culprit wasn’t really the burning in her shoulder. Kuvira’s betrayal had summoned a righteous wrath that had been both frightening and seductive in its intensity.

_ But I won’t give into it. I’m sure Kuvira thought she had good reasons for starting down her path too, and look where that’s led her.  _ Trying to contain the anger she felt, Korra repeated the opening words of the Jedi code to herself.  _ There is no emotion, there is peace. There is no emotion, there is peace. _

It was a simple statement, but effective, and when she opened her eyes once more, the rage had receded somewhat. Korra knew that wasn’t the end of the problem; it would take time and meditation before she was all right again, but that could wait. Already she could hear alarm klaxons screeching in her ears, reminding her of how little time they had to get out in one piece.

* * * *

As their team jogged back through the corridors of the base, Asami’s eyes kept sliding over to Korra. Surely the burn wound on her shoulder must be painful, and yet she moved as if nothing was wrong.  _ Can a Jedi really feel nothing?  _ Asami wondered, but she knew deep down that Korra definitely felt something. The anger and hurt in her eyes as she had watched Kuvira flee had been all too evident.

In spite of the danger they were still in, Asami found herself distracted by her sympathy for someone she was rapidly coming to regard as a friend. She didn’t know what she could do to make things better though, or even what it meant for Korra to have those feelings. For all of her education, this was uncharted territory for Asami, and as this Kuvira showed, the consequences of excessive emotion for a Jedi could be incredibly high.

But there wasn't time to worry about that. The sound of heavy-booted footsteps became audible beneath the alarm, and Asami picked up her pace. A squadron of soldiers ran into the corridor just as they reached the hangar. Mako and Bolin turned to fire, blasters raised, but Asami grabbed their arms. "No! You won't cut through that armor anyway. We need to get out of here."

"I'll hold them off." Korra stepped to the front of the group, lightsaber in hand, but Asami protested.

"Like hell you will. You're injured. Just run!"

But Korra wasn't listening. She charged toward the soldiers, her blade a hissing blue blur as it swept in circles through the air. Bolts from the soldiers' blasters were knocked aside as she cut them down.

"Mako, go get the ship," Asami said. "I'm going to help her."

"But—"

She gave him a shove to hurry him along. "Just trust me. I've got a plan." Without checking to make sure he was heading into the hangar, she adjusted the settings on her glove and hurried forward to join Korra. She wasn't sure her idea would work, but it was better than getting shot in the back while running away.

Korra was holding off three soldiers at once by the time Asami reached her. The unlucky nearest one fell to the ground as Korra's saber sliced into his arm, screaming in pain as the smell of burnt plastoid filled the air. The second flew off his feet and went hurtling through the air with a sharp motion of Korra's hand, colliding against the wall with a loud thud. But the third was luckier. He managed to dodge the next slash of Korra's saber and aim his blaster at her head.

Asami extended her hand, slapping her palm straight in the middle of his back. Her glove flashed blue and the soldier started to jerk, dropping his weapon to the ground. Smoke filtered up from the joints in his armor and he collapsed in a shuddering heap.

Korra stepped back in surprise. "What did you do?"

"Took a guess," Asami said. "This kind of armor usually has magnetic fields in one of the layers. I messed with it. Come on!" More soldiers were already coming down the corner and Asami didn't feel like sticking around to meet them. She grabbed Korra's good arm, dragging her bodily toward the hangar.

This time, they made it through. Asami hit the door controls in mid-run, causing it to close behind them. It wouldn't stop the soldiers for long, but it might buy them a few precious seconds. Thankfully, she caught sight of their ship already idling near the edge of the docking bay where Mako had started it up.

"We're going to talk about this later," he said as they ran up the extended gangplank and into the cockpit.

"At least let me get us out of here first." She slid into the pilot’s seat and gunned the engines, peeling out of the hangar just as the rest of the soldiers made it in. One of the station's tractor beams had been activated, but Asami dodged it easily, speeding out into space before it could get a lock.

She didn't give them the chance to try again. As soon as the ship was clear of the station, she switched on the hyperdrive, bracing herself against the roar of color and sound that followed. The stars became brilliant white lines that cut through the black void around them and the sides of the ship began to rattle.

"Is that it?" Bolin asked breathlessly. "Are we clear?"

Asami didn't answer. They were, but her heart was still pounding. She looked behind her at Korra, who didn't seem as thrilled by their narrow escape. She was gazing down at her shut-off lightsaber, which was resting in the middle of her lap. "Thanks for that back there," she said, looking up and sideways to meet Asami's eyes. "I was sloppy."

"You were injured," Asami said.  _ And upset, _ she didn't add.

"Once we get back to Coruscant, we need to head for the Jedi Temple. Master Tenzin and the rest of the Council need to know about this right away."

Asami nodded. She activated the navigation system and altered their course, plugging in the proper coordinates. This mission had turned out poorly, and if she didn't miss her guess, things were about to get even worse.

* * * *

Kuvira knelt in the center of the holographic projection platform, ignoring the lingering pain that sinking into that position caused. The ache in her back from where she’d been slashed was the least of her problems. Anger still boiled within her; at Korra’s escape, and even more at her former friend’s refusal to listen to reason.

She embraced it. There was power in anger, and as the Dark Side flowed through her, Kuvira felt the ache of her injury recede, replaced with a burning determination. She  _ would _ see this through to the end, no matter what obstacles the Jedi Council placed in her way, no matter who tried to stop her.

Seconds later, the ring of blue lights around the platform shimmered on, and before her, she saw the image of a figure clad in dark robes. Their voice reverberated low and potent across the link. “I sense you are troubled, my apprentice. What has transpired?”

Kuvira had already considered carefully how she would respond to this question, so there was no hesitation before she spoke once more. “There has been a complication, my master. The Jedi are aware of our presence on this station, and of my true allegiances.”

Beneath their robes, her master’s face remained as inscrutable as ever. Though they had taught Kuvira how to embrace the power of her emotions, their own were sometimes difficult to read. “And how did this happen?”

“I am still investigating, but they seem to have become aware of our interest in Future Industries. Several days ago, they foiled our attempt to take possession of the company’s hyperdrive motivators, and captured the men we used in the operation. One of them must have given the Jedi the coordinates of this base. I drove off the strike team they sent here, but they escaped with their lives.”

Across the comm link, she could sense a ripple of anger flowing through her master. Kuvira had learned that mentioning the Jedi was the surest path to tapping into their emotions. “In time, whoever betrayed us will pay the price for their weakness but for now, we must consider our next move carefully. How much do the Jedi know about what we have planned?”

“Only small pieces. They stole files, but nothing that could give them a true picture of the scope of our operations.”

“Good,” the Sith Lord rumbled. “Activate whatever contingencies are necessary to secure the motivators immediately. We must accelerate our plans before the Jedi become aware of their scope.”

“As you say, my master. They will be in our hands soon.”

“I trust that they will. This setback  _ will _ be the last one.”

Kuvira nodded. “It will. But there is one one more thing you should be aware of. The Jedi who came here was no ordinary member of the Order; it was the Chosen One. Korra.”

This time the wave of anger that rolled off of her master was powerful enough to make even Kuvira flinch slightly at its power. “Then she must be destroyed. I will allow no further interference in our affairs, least of all from her.”

“As you wish, my master.”


	8. Chapter 8

For the rest of the journey back to Coruscant, Korra remained silent and withdrawn. Bolin attempted to engage her in conversation, even cracking a joke or two, but when she only nodded politely in response, he finally got the message and stopped trying. Mako was busy muttering into his comm link, making what sounded like a report to Chief Beifong. Korra wasn't sure—she wasn't really paying attention. Her thoughts were still back on the space station where she had left Kuvira.

How had her friend fallen so far? Kuvira was among the strongest Jedi Korra had ever encountered, and frighteningly similar to herself. They had always been alike, going back to their time training together as padawans. What had gone wrong? What had changed? How had she missed it?

"Korra?"

She let go of the memories and turned at the sound of her name. Asami was staring at her from the pilot’s chair, brow wrinkled in concern. "Sorry, you'll have to repeat that," Korra said, forcing a sheepish smile so Asami wouldn't worry any further. "I was trying to meditate."

"I didn't mean to interrupt," Asami murmured in apology, "but we're almost to the temple. You wanted to stop there first, right?"

"We have to," Korra said. "This can't wait."

"At least humor me and go to the medical bay," Asami said. "They must have one."

"I don't need to," Korra protested. "It's only a scrape."

Asami didn't answer. Instead, she banked sharply to the left, swerving into a new lane of traffic. Korra winced as the safety harness rubbed uncomfortably against her wounded arm, and she couldn't hide the reaction quick enough.

"Even scrapes need to get patched up," Asami said. "I'll drag you there myself if I have to."

As stubborn as she was, Korra could tell this was an argument she couldn't possibly win. "Fine."

"You mean we actually get to go inside the Jedi Temple?" Bolin asked, piping up again. "That's so awesome! What's it like? I've never been—obviously. I mean, outsiders..."

"You can come in as long as you're with me and you agree to surrender your weapons," Korra told him. "Master Tenzin will probably want to speak to all of us anyway. I'm sure you can describe the space station's schematics better than I could, Asami."

"The weapons and armor they're using, too," Asami said. At the sound of Mako clearing his throat, she added, "And I'll give the same information to Chief Beifong as soon as possible, of course." With that promise made, she pulled down out of traffic, gliding down over the city.

Korra felt a sense of relief pass over her. Her encounter with Kuvira still unsettled her, but she felt better knowing she was back home. When the towering ziggurat and spires of the Jedi Temple came into view, she relaxed even further. She could feel the Force swell around her and she let out a long sigh.

"Glad to be home?" Asami asked as they pulled in for a landing.

"Yeah."

The ship touched down on the landing strip, and Asami turned neatly into the garage. There wasn't much traffic, only a few vehicles here and there, so they found an empty slot quickly enough. After setting down and turning off the engines, Asami unfastened her safety harness. "Medical center first," she reminded Korra once they exited the ship and met each other around front. "Don't even think about stopping off anywhere else."

Korra snorted. "Are you this overprotective with all your friends?"

Asami merely grinned at her in return. "Does this mean we're friends, then?"

"Jedi don't have friends in quite the way most people do," Korra said, "but...yeah, I guess so. You did risk your life to save me. And my first impression of you was definitely wrong."

Asami gave her a knowing look. "Let me guess: spoiled rich girl?"

Korra nodded, more than a little embarrassed.

"I get that a lot."

They didn't continue the conversation, because at that moment Mako and Bolin came toward them from around the back of the ship. "Where to now?" Bolin asked, his eyes shining with excitement.

Korra gave him a shake of her head. “Nowhere interesting. Asami’s insisting somebody take a look at my shoulder before we meet with the Council.”

“That’s probably a good idea,” Mako agreed. “I’d join you, but I need to go report in immediately.”

“Come on, don’t you want to see the Jedi Temple?” Bolin asked. “And besides, you already called your boss from the ship.”

For once, Mako cracked a slight smile. “For a disaster of this magnitude, I think I’d better follow up with the chief in person. She’s going to want all the details.”

“What do you mean it was a disaster?” Bolin said. “I thought we did pretty good back there.”

“I think what he means is Kuvira turning to the Dark Side is a disaster,” Korra said.

She must have sounded weary, because Asami gave her good shoulder a squeeze. “Kuvira can wait. Come on, let’s get you taken care of.”

The gesture was surprisingly comforting. As she set off with Asami and Bolin toward the massive edifice of the Jedi Temple, Korra realized that she really had come to consider the engineer a friend in spite of the short time they had known one another. 

It was a tricky area as far as the Code was concerned. On the one hand, Jedi were encouraged to develop bonds of respect and trust. Such connections, especially between masters and apprentices, or teams of knights assigned together in the field, were essential to the work the Order did. And yet, Jedi had to be careful, or else those same bonds could lead them astray or blind them to their duty.  _ Just like it did with Kuvira _ , she thought bitterly.  _ I had a chance to end this and I hesitated. I won’t make that mistake again. _

****

“This place is incredible!”

Even though Asami’s head wasn’t swiveling around like a overcharged droid in an effort to take everything in the way Bolin’s was, she couldn’t disagree with his assessment. The Jedi Temple was truly a marvel. Not only were its vaulted ceilings and broad walkways majestic, but what filled them was even more interesting. Antiquities collected over the centuries lined its walls, while statues and busts of Jedi of dozens of different species adorned its nooks and crannies. It was impressive without seeming ostentatious, a tribute to the age of the Order and the many services it had rendered to the galaxy. 

“Who’s she?” Bolin asked, pointing to a striking sculpture of a human woman with long hair holding a lightsaber out defiantly.

“That’s Nomi Sunrider,” Korra told him. “The Chosen One during the war against Exar Kun. She was the one who turned Ulic Qel-Droma back from the Dark Side and who led the final attack on Yavin 4.”

Bolin raised a thick eyebrow. “The Chosen One? What’s the deal with that?”

Asami leaned in curiously as Korra answered. In the elite circles she had grown up in, there had been whispers of the Prophecy of the Chosen One, but few details. Even to the rich and powerful of the Republic, the Jedi could be mysterious.

“It’s this thing that happens sometimes,” Korra said, “especially when the Force gets out of balance. A Jedi is born who’s very strong with the Force, and also is destined to play a pivotal role in the battle against the Dark Side. There have been dozens of them, but the very first one was Master Wan, thousands of years ago. He helped to drive the early darksiders out of the Republic and create the Jedi Order.”

“And is somebody the Chosen One now?” Bolin asked.

Kolin smiled proudly, an expression that seemed to cover her whole face. “Yup. It’s me.”

“You? Wow!” Bolin said, staring at her in awe. “You hear that, Asami? We’re not just friends with a Jedi, we’re friends with the Chosen One!”

Asami looked at Korra again. She wasn't sure what kind of 'Chosen One' she had expected based on the rumors she'd heard, but Korra definitely wasn't it. Yes, she was strong, and yes, she was a very talented fighter, and yes she was clever and graceful and funny...

_ Stop it, Asami. Don't go there. _

Still, she had thought the Chosen One would be someone older. Someone above it all; mysterious, cryptic, and serene. Someone more like a Jedi. Korra seemed like a person—a very fascinating person, but a person nonetheless. The emotions on her face were all too easy for Asami to read most of the time.

Apparently, her own emotions were also easy to read.

"You don't have to look so surprised," Korra said, pouting slightly.

"I'm not," Asami lied, though she suspected she was pretty transparent. Korra might not have the calm poise of a Jedi Master, but she definitely wasn't stupid. Quite the opposite, in fact. "So, how do the Jedi figure out which Force-sensitive child is the Chosen One?" Asami asked, trying to change the subject.

Korra glanced around, making sure none of the other Jedi they were passing were listening in. "So, technically it's kind of a secret...but it's also kind of funny. They take the Younglings who are especially strong in the Force and set them loose in this weird room full of artifacts. If you have a connection to the artifacts previous Chosen Ones owned, congratulations—you're in. I went right for Chosen One Kyoshi's fan, so...yeah."

"What if someone picks the right artifact by accident?" Asami asked, immediately skeptical. "Or what if two people pick artifacts?"

"They do it again and see if it keeps happening, I guess," Korra said. "Plus they ask you how you feel about the stuff. I can't really explain it. Okay, I know it sounds kind of weird explaining it to outsiders..."

"A little. You know, a lot of being successful has to do with the effort you put in. If you're told from childhood you're the Chosen One, I imagine that gives you a lot of drive and confidence—"

"So you're saying you don't believe in the prophecy?" Bolin interrupted, clearly disappointed. "Come on, Asami. The Force is a real thing, and we still don't know how it works, no matter how many scientists try to understand it. There are things in this universe you just can't explain. Maybe this is one of them?"

Asami sighed, but as she looked away from Bolin's hopeful face and over to Korra, she couldn't help but concede. "Maybe you're right. There  _ are _ a lot of things we don't understand. Even as an engineer and a scientist, I have to admit that."

Their conversation was cut short as Korra came to a stop. "Here we are," she said, gesturing at a set of metal doors. "Don't tell Master Tenzin any of what I told you. It's supposed to be a Jedi secret, although it's kind of an open one at this point."

Asami made the motion of closing her lips. "I won't say a word."

Bolin nodded. "Me neither."

"Okay." Korra waved her hand in front of the doors, and they whooshed open, revealing a large, sterile-looking room mostly of silver and white. It was long rather than wide, and there were small square cells with beds in them lined up in two rows, most of them unoccupied.

There were, however, two people waiting for them near the entrance. One was a tall man wearing traditional Jedi robes. His head was bald and striking blue tattoos pointed in an arrow down toward his narrow, severe-looking face. He had a neatly trimmed triangular beard as well as bushy eyebrows, furrowed in what looked like unhappy concern.

Beside him was another Jedi, although she looked much different. She was a pretty, dark-skinned girl, much younger than the man, and in some ways, she reminded Asami a little of Korra. Perhaps it was her youth and energy, which couldn't be hidden despite her attempts to look official. Her hair was short except for a single long braid running down from the right side, and Asami strongly suspected that she was the older Jedi's padawan.

"Korra," the man said, "I'm so glad you've arrived back safely."

Korra bowed. "Thanks, Master Tenzin. Uh… I guess you heard I was back before I could call you, huh?"

"I do make it a point to keep track of everyone who docks in the temple," Master Tenzin said, "but that isn't important right now. You wouldn't have come if it wasn't urgent… and you appear to be wounded."

He peered at Korra's arm and Asami noted a look of genuine concern on his face.

"It's nothing," Korra mumbled, but to Asami's surprise, the young padawan objected.

"It's not nothing," she said, taking a step forward and grabbing Korra's arm in a very familiar way. For a moment, Asami was surprised—and a little unsettled, although she couldn't put her finger on why. "This looks like a lightsaber injury. What happened?"

"First, perhaps some introductions are in order," Tenzin said. "This is my padawan, Opal Beifong—” 

Upon hearing the name Beifong, Asami glanced at the young woman, examining her more closely. She supposed she could see a family resemblance to Lin. If Coruscant gossip was to be believed, this was her niece.

“—and I assume you must be Asami Sato." Tenzin bowed, and Asami returned the gesture to both of the Jedi. "Your assistance in this matter is appreciated."

"I'm afraid you're going to need more of it," Asami told him as she rose. “The news we have isn’t good.”

"And who is your friend?" Master Tenzin asked, looking over at Bolin.

"Oh, I'm sorry. This is Bolin—"

"I'm Bolin!" Bolin said, blurting it out a little too loudly and too late. Asami looked at him in surprise only to realize he was barely paying attention to Tenzin at all. Instead, he was staring at the young padawan in fascination. It was a look Asami had seen on his face before and she had to suppress a sigh. Padawans were definitely  _ not _ the type of people Bolin should be developing crushes on, even if they were kind of cute.

_ Hypocrite, _ something in her mind whispered, but she shoved that voice down, instead, just saying, “Bolin and his brother Mako have been helping us with this mission.”

“Ah, yes, Mako,” Tenzin said. “The detective that Chief Beifong assigned to the case. We had a  _ lengthy  _ conversation about it yesterday.”

His weary tone suggested the discussion hadn’t been much fun, but Korra moved right past that. “Master, Suyin was right about Kuvira; she’s turned to the Dark Side. She and Baatar Junior are the ones controlling the pirates who’ve been stealing from Future Industries.”

Tenzin’s long face slumped. “I wish I could say I was surprised. Do you have any idea what made her do this?”

“Not exactly. Kuvira kept talking about how messed up the Republic is, but she wasn’t really more specific than that. There’s something else though that might explain it. Kuvira mentioned that she has a master. Another Sith, I assume. Maybe they lured her to the Dark Side?”

“We need to head back there,” Bolin declared. “Get a whole bunch of these Jedi to come with us and go kick Kuvira’s stupid butt. I mean, Korra already took out a lot of them. Imagine what, like, six could do?”

“It probably wouldn’t help,” Asami pointed out. “Kuvira will abandon the station now that we know she’s operating out of that system. I’m guessing they’d be long gone by the time we arrived. Besides, there’s something bigger going on here. Not just with this ‘master’ Korra heard about, but with the parts that have been stolen from my company. Now that we know it’s Kuvira behind the thefts, I’m more sure than ever that it’s not just about making money. We have to know what their endgame is.”

“Agreed,” Tenzin said, “which is why you, and Korra, and Detective Mako need to continue your investigation. The Council can lend you more backup when we have a proper target, but first we have to know where we’re going and what we’re up against.”

“Still, I think Korra could use a little more help.” All eyes turned at Opal’s sudden joining of the conversation, and she added, “Come on, Master Tenzin, I’m ready for a field assignment, and since you’re usually staying here at the temple, this is my chance.”

Tenzin looked back to Korra. “I’m not sure about this. I know you’re a Jedi Knight now, Korra, but you’ve never had a padawan of your own. Do you think you’re ready to handle taking one with you on this mission? It’s a serious responsibility.”

“I’m sure she’s up for it,” Bolin said brightly.

_ And I’m sure I know why you said that _ , Asami thought to herself.

Both Bolin and Opal looked at Korra expectantly, and the Jedi said, “Sure, I can handle it, and I know you’re really talented, Opal, but are you sure? This assignment has already turned ugly and it’s probably going to get worse before it’s done.”

Opal’s expression turned serious. “I am. Master Tenzin has been a great teacher, and besides, it’s not just Kuvira we have to stop here. It’s my brother who’s helping her and her master to make this mess, and at least one member of his family should come along to stop him.”

“He won’t be helping her at Future Industries though,” Asami said. “I’m going to get in touch with my father as soon we’re done here. Once I explain what’s going on, Baatar Junior won’t be allowed anywhere near the company while we gather the proof we need to have him arrested.”

“Very well then,” Tenzin said with a nod. “Go and gather your things, Opal. I’ll report back in to the rest of the Council on these developments, and you can leave with Korra as soon as her shoulder has been taken care of.”

“I’ll help you pack,” Bolin offered, and Opal gave him a friendly smile that suggested his company wouldn’t be unwelcome. 

As the two of them departed, followed in turn by Tenzin, Asami looked back over to Korra. “That might be trouble.”

“What do you mean?” Korra asked, but it took Asami a moment to reply. While she spoke, the Jedi had shrugged out of her robe, leaving her in just a fairly flimsy white undershirt, and Asami struggled not to stare at the well-developed musculature that was revealed. It wasn’t exactly a surprise that Korra worked out a great deal, but the results were still  _ quite  _ impressive.

“I just meant that Bolin seems to be, uh, taken with Opal,” Asami blurted out, her usual cool abandoning her, “and with your, I mean, her vows…”

"I'm not worried.” Korra headed for one of the cubbies, taking a seat on a raised silver stretcher and placing her abandoned robe beside her. "I know Bolin can be goofy and tell dumb jokes at bad times, but you should give him more credit, Asami. He seems like a smart enough guy under that act. He'll know when to back off. Besides, a little flirting won't lead to the end of the world."

Asami looked at Korra in surprise as she took a seat in one of the chairs beside the stretcher. "So, are you saying you'd be comfortable going out and flirting with civilians?" she asked, trying her best to sound casual despite the way her heart raced at the notion. "I don't think Master Tenzin would approve."

"I'm not saying I'd do it," Korra clarified, "but Opal's only a padawan. And her mother left the order after falling in love, you know. Sometimes it happens."

Asami tried to conceal her disappointment. She had heard something of the sort about Suyin before. As reclusive as they were, the Beifongs were a well-known enough family to inspire gossip—something Lin certainly did not appreciate. "I suppose I shouldn't worry. With Chief Beifong hovering around, looking over our shoulders during this mission, I doubt Bolin will work up the courage to make a real move anyway."

Korra laughed. "You're not wrong. She’s a pretty tough one. So, what do you think Mako's telling her right now?"

"The truth," Asami sighed. "I'm sure she'll want to interview me too after I leave the temple, since Future Industries is involved."

"That isn't the only reason," Korra said. "Look, I was too busy to say something before, but… about what you said in the docking bay. You're definitely not a spoiled rich girl at all. You were really great on the station. We would have gotten shot down if it wasn't for you, and..." She smiled sheepishly, reaching up to rub the back of her neck with her good arm. "It was sweet of you to hop in the ship and 'save' me, not to mention the time on the way out when I actually needed saving."

A wide grin spread across Asami's face. Although plenty of people had misjudged her over the years, no one else had ever been so upfront about it. She always needed to work extra hard to be taken seriously, not just because of her appearance, but to make sure everyone knew she had earned her position at Future Industries instead of just being a family hire. And here Korra was, thanking her as well as apologizing.

Before Asami could tell Korra she appreciated the sentiment, the sound of footsteps distracted her. She turned to see an old woman approaching, one with an old-fashioned pair of looping white braids that hung above her blue robes. Her dark face was wrinkled with a smile, one that only grew wider when she caught sight of Korra.

Korra noticed the strange woman at the same time. "Master Katara," she said, clearly pleased. "I didn't know you were taking shifts in the medical ward today."

"Well, I wasn't expecting you either. What kind of trouble have you gotten yourself into this time?" the woman—Katara—asked. The name was somewhat familiar, and Asami felt as though she should know it. She left her chair, standing up and backing away with a respectful bow. "Oh, don't stand on ceremony for me," Katara said, noticing the motion. "I assume you're the one who brought my favorite patient here? She wouldn't have come in otherwise unless she was missing a limb."

Asami smiled, deciding that she already liked this woman. "You're right. Since Korra probably won't tell you without some prodding, I will—she has a lightsaber injury on her shoulder. She'll say it doesn't hurt, but she's lying."

"It doesn't," Korra protested, but apparently, Master Katara had no time for her complaints. She took Korra's elbow in what looked like a surprisingly firm grip from what Asami could see, moving it up to get a better look at the injury.

"Painful, but not outside of your medical training. I'm surprised you didn't fix this up yourself, Korra."

"I didn't have much time," Korra mumbled.

"Well, there's time now." Katara took the seat Asami had vacated, opening one of the drawers beside the stretcher and pulling out a bacta patch. "Hold still. This shouldn't take long."

While Katara went to work, Asami watched her hands. Despite being swollen in some places, they moved quickly and methodically. It was rather entrancing, and as the healing substance was set into place on top of it, the burned cut on Korra's shoulder didn't look so bad.

"This wasn't a sparring injury," Katara said—a statement of fact, not a question. "So, you encountered Kuvira on your mission, after all did you?"

"You aren't supposed to know about that, Master Katara," Korra said. "No one is."

"I know everything that happens here," Katara said. "But even if you hadn't just confirmed I was right, I would have seen it on your face. You have deeper wounds than this one beneath the surface."

“You’re right, it’s been a rough couple of days,” Korra admitted with a resigned shrug, “but at this point I’m kind of tired of talking about it. I have a job to do and that’s that. Complaining won’t fix anything.”

Katara smiled warmly. “Well, if you change your mind, you know where to find me. In the meantime, I want you to lie down and rest for a few hours while the bacta does its work.”

That elicited a small laugh from Korra. “Am I really that difficult a patient?”

“Oh, I’ve seen worse... Occasionally.”

Katara walked off to tend to other patients, and once she was out of earshot, Asami whispered to Korra, “Do you know why I feel as if I’ve seen her before? Her face is familiar somehow.”

“That makes sense. When she was younger, Katara travelled with Master Aang, the last Chosen One. Some of their adventures ended up on the news nets.”

Asami nodded. Master Aang’s exploits had been before her time, but she had read about his battles with Darth Ignus. “That must be it.” She paused and then added, “I’m sorry I kept pestering you about your shoulder and asking how you were feeling. It makes sense that you’d be sick of it by now and I don’t want to be a bother.”

Korra smiled, placing a hand on her shoulder. “It’s okay; you didn’t bother me. Really. I liked having you worry about me.” 

As soon as she said it, Korra seemed to regret her choice of words, and she mumbled, “I just meant that I like you. As a friend, I mean. I like you as a friend.”

Whatever she was saying, though, the blush spreading over Korra’s face told a different story, and Asami found herself torn between feeling awkward and an unreasonable happiness at the disclosure. The conflict left her uncertain what to say, but before the silence between them could drag out for too long, it was mercifully broken by the beeping of her communicator. She opened it up perhaps to quickly and blurted out, “Hello, Mako. What’s going on?”

He sounded winded. “Asami, you’d better meet me at Future Industries as soon as possible. The motivators have been stolen.”

Asami face fell as the news sunk in.  _ Things have gone from bad to worse. I think romantic awkwardness is the least of our problems right now. _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As you can tell, the Prophecy of the Chosen One is a mixture of the prophecy from Star Wars and the Avatar from LoK, with past Chosen Ones being a mixture of Avatars and Jedi.


	9. Chapter 9

The corridor was blanketed in shadows, obscuring the path Korra walked. Even reaching out with the Force wasn’t enough to tell what was waiting in them. There was  _ something _ though, a malevolent presence just beyond where she could see it, waiting for her. It had always been waiting for her, and now she had come, delivering herself to it.

_ Korra _ , a voice from nowhere whispered,  _ why are you here? _

“To stop you!” she yelled out into the darkness. She knew with sudden certainty that it was true, even if she still couldn’t quite remember who or what it was that she was going to stop.

_ Stop me?  _ The voice’s tone was mocking, secure in the knowledge that Korra couldn’t even find it.  _ How are you going to do that? You don’t understand what it is you’re facing. _

“Evil! That’s what I’m facing.”

Her lightsaber was in her hand even before she realized she was drawing it, the blade shimmering into existence just in time to meet the figure that lunged out of the darkness at her. Her uncle’s face was demonic, twisted in rage, and he rained blows with his own lightsaber that she struggled to hold back.

“Evil is a point of view,” the voice said, now coming out of Unalaq’s lips, seeming unaffected by the fury of their duel. “I raged against the Jedi’s corruption of the Force, and for that, they declared me evil.”

Korra thrust back, tapping into the Force for the strength to drive him off of her. “You were killing Jedi.”

“And then a Jedi killed me. What does that make you?”

“It’s not the same thing,” she insisted, but her resolve weakened for a moment, and she found herself back on the defensive, parrying the next thrusts desperately.

“Why not? Didn’t you hate me the way I hated them?”

That was a question she couldn't answer—or perhaps was too afraid to. Instead, she doubled her efforts, attacking Unalaq with wild swings. At last, she saw an opening. She pushed her body to its limit, and with a swift lunge, her lightsaber pierced his stomach, thrusting straight through his gut.

Unalaq's face never faltered. It was as if he hadn't felt the blow at all. When Korra looked down, there was no blood around the wound, no smell of singed flesh. All she saw was a foul, black fog pouring out from the place where she had stabbed him.

"You can't run from this, Korra," Unalaq said. "You're the 'Chosen One', after all."

All at once, Unalaq began to dissolve into more of the same black smoke, disappearing in wisps like the edges of burnt paper. Soon, all that was left was a large black figure, more billowing cloud than human, growing taller and taller. She pulled her lightsaber back, bringing it up to defend herself even as her heart froze over with fear—

"Korra!"

The scene shifted with dizzying speed. What remained of Unalaq's corrupted spirit vanished, and Korra found herself gazing into a familiar pair of green eyes instead. She was kneeling on the floor of a different corridor, the same one where she had fought Kuvira, only the other Jedi was nowhere in sight. The only person there was Asami.

"Korra," Asami said again, and the concern in her tone made Korra feel… relieved?

"I was so worried about you, Korra..." Korra tried to speak, but before she could say anything, something warm and soft sealed over her mouth. Asami's lips were on hers, kissing her gently but desperately.

Korra reached out, preparing to push Asami away. She was a Jedi. She couldn't do this, she shouldn't—

But somehow, she ended up gripping Asami's arms instead, pulling her closer. The longer she and Asami kissed, the brighter the corridor seemed, until it wasn't a corridor at all and they were somewhere completely different. With each slow glide of Asami's lips against hers, Korra felt more of her fear disappear. The knot in her chest unravelled and she forgot all about Unalaq and Kuvira and the evil spirit—just in time for Asami's frantic fingers to find the front of her robes.

At first, Asami's hands roamed over her cautiously, seemingly searching for injuries through the fabric of her shirt. Then they grew bolder, caressing instead of just comforting. The thought of stopping Asami and pulling away grew more and more distant in Korra's mind. She didn't want to. She wasn't even sure if she could. Her own hands came around Asami's waist to clutch at her coat.

Asami kissed her again, slow and deep this time. It was no longer just a kiss of reassurance, but one of liquid heat and passion. Korra kissed back as best she could, her head swirling and her body trembling. She had never felt anything like this before. It almost reminded her of jumping from a high place and trusting the Force, feeling her entire body launch through empty space. She had no idea where she was going to land, but she hoped it would be in Asami's arms.

She wasn’t disappointed. Asami pushed her down onto a bed that Korra had only just realized was behind them, and the heat of the heiress’ body was kindling a fire unlike any she had ever felt before. Some distant corner of Korra’s brain knew that she should put a stop to this, that passion was a gateway to the Dark Side, but how could that be true when this felt so  _ right _ ?

Asami’s hands were on her tunic, pushing it the rest of the way off, while hot lips sought out her neck, sucking on the sensitive skin, blotting out everything but her rising desire. She had to have more, and though her attempts to strip Asami as well were a fumbling mess, somehow, she made her way to bare skin, peeling off coat and shirt and tossing them aside.

And then those nimble hands found her breasts and Korra could do nothing but shiver. They had never seemed especially sensitive when she touched them herself, but when it was Asami squeezing the soft flesh, her fingertips gliding over nipples that were already achingly hard, the sensations were something else entirely.

“You need this, don’t you?” Asami whispered, her breath hot on Korra’s ear as her tongue traced its outer shell. “You need me to keep going.”

“I…” Korra choked on the words. She knew she shouldn’t feel this, should be able to detach herself from these physical sensations. But she couldn’t. The thought of Asami pulling back was utterly unbearable. “I do,” she panted.

“I’m glad. Because I need you too.”

The hunger in Asami’s voice took Korra’s breath away, almost as much as what came next. Without Korra even noticing, Asami had unbuttoned her pants and now she slipped inside them, her fingers gliding over toned abs and through short hair to reach their prize. 

Korra had learned long ago how to take care of her body’s needs, but her own hand couldn’t compare to the electricity that sparked when Asami found her. She was beyond wet, slick sounds coming from between her legs as Asami teased her entrance before beginning to stroke her erect clit.

“Asami,” she whimpered in a voice that couldn’t have been her own, broken and desperate as it was. “Yes. Please.”

“Of course, Korra. Anything for you. I love you.”

* * *

Korra’s eyes shot open and she bolted up in the small hospital bed. Her breath was coming in ragged gasps as she looked around the room, shocked when she realized that Asami wasn’t there.

_ She’s at Future Industries _ , she remembered. Asami had gone there to follow up on the report that the motivators had been stolen, but had insisted that Korra stay at the temple and get some rest before joining her.

Korra didn’t know whether to be relieved or disappointed by her absence. She doubted she could look Asami in the eye just then, and yet the fact that Asami wasn’t really there caused an uncomfortable ache in her chest.  _ And not just there, either.  _ Korra’s sex throbbed with unfulfilled desire, wetness coating her inner thighs. The dream had been incredibly vivid. Both her confrontation with the Sith, and even more, her…encounter...with Asami felt as if they weren’t just the product of her own mind, but of the Force trying to show her something.

A heavy weight settled on Korra's shoulders as she wondered whether it might be a warning. Her dream-self hadn't been wrong: passion  _ was _ a path to the dark side—and a very common one. It didn't matter whether the passion was pure at the start. Such intense feelings could always be corrupted. After all, hadn't Kuvira's? Her passion to help the galaxy was actively harming it now.

And yet...

When Korra closed her eyes and tried to do her breathing exercises, desperate for some clarity, it was Asami's face she saw. Her green eyes were hazy, lips parted in expectation, and the desire to lean in and kiss them was just as strong as it had been in Korra's dream. Another sharp pang pulsed between her legs, causing her to flinch. Meditation wouldn't help her. She'd never been all that good at it anyway.

Instead, she rolled off the cot and headed out of the medical center. She hadn't technically been released yet, but it didn't really matter. Her injuries weren’t that serious; Master Katara had only suggested that she should lie down while the bacta did its work. Exhausted from her fight with Kuvira, Korra hadn't thought that was a bad idea, but now she was fully alert, her body tingling with electricity.

She made her way through the halls and toward the lift at a brisk pace. Her clothes were clinging to her in uncomfortable ways and she flushed at the reminder of why. A shower was definitely in order once she got back to her room.

The elevator ride didn't take long. It went up and left, swiftly delivering Korra to the proper corridor. She’d hoped that entering the familiar confines of her room would bring her some comfort, but instead, the sight of the bed as she opened the door haunted her. It reminded her of the way Asami had pushed her back, stretching out on top of her and pulling off her clothes. Though it hadn't really happened, Korra could recall all too vividly how it had felt to be stripped naked, her skin bare beneath the cool air and Asami's warm palms.

With a shake of her head, she went into the room and closed the door without switching on the light. She stripped out of her clothes hurriedly, shuddering even though it wasn't cold. Before she removed her pants however, she removed her lightsaber from her hip, holding it in her hands and staring sadly down at the deactivated blade. Normally, her role as a Jedi filled her with insurmountable pride—pride Tenzin had told her was inappropriate. Now...it almost made her wistful.

She set her saber aside and finished taking off her pants. Then, she headed for the shower. The fullness between her legs hadn't gone away, and neither had the sticky heat there. As awkward as it felt, she would probably need to do something about it...preferably while trying not to think about Asami. It wasn't appropriate. They had only known each other a little under a week at any rate. Better to keep her mind blank while she satisfied her body's needs.

But...

But something about the way Asami had spoken to her yesterday, the way Asami had insisted on watching out for her, the way Asami had looked at her and touched her... Countless little moments that made Korra wonder if Asami would really mind. She sighed as she hit the pressure pad for the water and stepped under the spray, not even bothering to wait the usual few seconds for the temperature to adjust. She needed a cold shock anyway. Still, once enough steam had billowed around her, she leaned back against the metal wall and slid her hand down along her stomach, closing her eyes.

She'd just have to make it quick. She had much more serious problems to worry about.

* * *

Hiroshi furrowed his brow as he looked at the data pad Asami had just handed him. “And there can be no doubt about this?”

“No, there really can’t,” Asami replied. “I was pretty sure we had a mole to deal with after the first attempt to steal the motivators, and now I’m certain. The warehouse I routed them to wasn’t one we usually use. Only the people on the executive distribution list knew they were going there.”

“Assuming there wasn’t a breach on our computer security, that is. The message you sent could have been hacked, after all.”

“I’m sure it wasn’t,” Asami insisted. “I had our analysis droids triple check the server logs and then I verified their work myself. Someone on the board gave that information to Kuvira and Baatar. It’s the only possible explanation for how they found the motivators so easily.”

Her father nodded before shaking his head ruefully. “I trust your judgement. I  _ thought _ that I could trust a Jedi and her associates as well, but it seems that they used this offer of protection as a way of getting closer to their targets.”

“Yeah, it does make it easier for them and their mole to steal our technology if they’re the ones who are supposed to be protecting it.” Asami sighed. “The only consolation is that the motivators weren’t as close to finished as I made Kuvira think.”

That caused a thick eyebrow to rise slightly. “They weren’t? The message you sent indicated that they were ready for beta testing.”

She gave her father a wry smile. “Well, not really, but Korra and I wanted to draw out the thieves and we couldn’t afford to wait for the work to be done. I’m sorry I didn’t tell you earlier, but things have been so busy with the investigation, and I know your plate is always full.”

“It’s fine,” Hiroshi said, seeming to recover from his surprise. “I understand. And you’ve done well with this, Asami. Just like always.”

Asami’s smile turned warmer at the praise, and she asked, “Thank you, but what are we going to do now?”

Hiroshi set down the data pad and folded his hands behind his back, pacing over to one of the floor-length windows that lined his office. “Obviously, I’ll be getting Baatar’s people out of our facilities. Beyond that, I’ll open an internal investigation to find who’s behind this. I assume they’ve been careful, since none of our routine security measures have detected anything suspicious, but there might still be a clue somewhere. Money transfers to family members, unusual spending patterns, a trip to the Outer Rim perhaps…” Hiroshi sighed. “It’s hard for me to think this way.  In many ways, I regard Future Industries like an extended family, and everyone on the board has been with us for years. The idea of one of them betraying us...” 

Asami walked over to him, putting her arm around Hiroshi’s shoulder. She knew just how he felt; she’d grown up in the company, starting out as an assistant in her father’s lab and rising through the ranks as she got older and more experienced. It hurt that at least one of the people they’d trusted most was involved in this.

_ Now I know how Korra feels _ , she thought,  _ at least a little bit.  _ Though many of the people on the board were friends of her father, she wasn’t especially close to most of them. It certainly wasn’t the same as the bond Korra shared with Kuvira; Jedi apprentices often grew up together, so the betrayal must have cut especially deep for her, just as it seemed have to for Hiroshi. “If you want me to, I can handle the internal investigation,” she offered. “You don’t have to do this yourself.”

“No, it’s all right.” Hiroshi took a deep breath, seeming to put aside his reservations. “I know these people. I hired them. I’ll get to the bottom of this.”

“If you’re sure…”

"Are you all right?" Hiroshi blurted out suddenly, startling Asami as her voice trailed off. He seemed to realize that he had spoken a bit too abruptly, because he tried to regain his calm demeanor once more—although Asami didn't miss the worried furrow that remained in his brow. "I know you're an adult now, Asami, but I can't help worrying. When Chief Beifong called me this evening..."

Asami winced, pulling away. She had conveniently left out a few details about her investigation of the station when relaying the important information to her father. The firefight, for instance. She had known it would only worry him and he already had enough on his plate.

"So, Chief Beifong got to you before I did, huh?"

Hiroshi sighed. "This is serious, Asami. I have every confidence in your abilities, but she says you and your friends met resistance when you tracked down Kuvira. You're an engineer, not a Jedi or a trained member of the police force. You could have been hurt or worse. You need to do your job here, protecting Future Industries."

"But that's what I'm trying to do," Asami protested. "And it worked. Korra and the rest of us got proof that Kuvira had turned to the Dark Side of the Force—"

"Proof that Korra could have gotten without putting your life at risk," Hiroshi said. "Please, Asami. I know you admire the Jedi and I know you want to help, but they aren't as flawless and perfect as they pretend to be."

Though Hiroshi didn't say her name, Asami knew precisely who he was thinking about. Even all these years later, her mother's death weighed on both of them. "Dad..." She squeezed his shoulder, trying to offer some reassurance.

"Let the police take care of this. I'm only asking you to be careful…and that includes around Korra. In fact, I'd prefer it if she stayed away from Future Industries for a while?"

"What?" Asami removed her hand from Hiroshi’s shoulder, staring at him in disbelief. "But she's trying to help—"

"If what you discovered about Kuvira is true, it only proves that trusting any Jedi is a risk. It's one I won't take again. Now, more than ever, we need to protect ourselves and the company. I'm not saying you can't help Korra, but don't pass along any sensitive information, and please don't go on any more missions that require you to be armed. It isn't your job, and you aren't trained for it."

Asami frowned. Even though Hiroshi's intentions were good, this felt all wrong. "Is that an order from my boss, or a request from my father?"

"That depends. Which one means more to you?"

She sighed. "Fine. I know better than to give her access to our secret files...and I'll try to avoid putting myself in any dangerous situations. But I'm not going to stop helping her. I want to get to the bottom of this."

Hiroshi gave her a warm smile. "That's all I can ask. Please, Asami...just be careful. I can't afford to lose you too."

Asami leaned down, giving him a long hug. It was a promise she wanted to keep, but she had a feeling she would be forced to break it sooner rather than later.


	10. Chapter 10

The last time Korra had visited Bolin’s apartment, she’d been leaping out of a skycar to confront a squad of armed mercenaries, and yet she’d felt more comfortable that day than she did on the elevator ride up now. She was meeting with the rest of the team to discuss their next moves against Kuvira, and that meant seeing Asami again.

_ Asami _ . Just saying the name to herself was enough to make Korra’s pulse quicken. It was hardly the first time she’d felt desire; Jedi were still human, and like most of them, Korra had experienced her share of naughty thoughts about her fellow Padawans and holo-vid stars once she hit puberty. And certainly, Asami was a very attractive woman. Any being with eyes could testify to that. But that was no reason Korra shouldn’t be able to relegate her emerging crush to the same bin as those other harmless fantasies.

But this was different. Even as elevator lurched in in a manner that might have worried a less preoccupied person, Korra couldn’t pretend otherwise, nor get that dream out of her head. It had been incredibly vivid, feeling more like the nightmares she’d been having about her duel with Unalaq than an idle daydream.

_ Except that unlike in my nightmares, I wasn’t exactly frightened,  _ Korra reminded herself disapprovingly. The force of the passion she’d felt should have scared her, did scare her now that she was awake, but at the time, it had just felt so  _ right  _ to be making love with Asami.  _ What does that mean? What the hell is the Force or my dumb brain trying to tell me? _

Before she could come up with any kind of satisfying answer, the elevator lurched to an uneasy stop and the doors slid open, leaving her with little choice but to face her problems head-on. The idea of seeing Asami again made her uneasy, but she wasn’t going to hide out in a dingy hallway like a coward.

The doors to Bolin’s apartment hadn’t been repaired properly since the assault by Varrick’s goons, and when she stood in front of them, they slid open without requiring the usual key code. Inside, Korra found the rest of the team already present. Bolin was standing in the middle of his living room, gesturing demonstratively. Mako wasn’t paying him much mind as he spoke to Asami, and while Opal had been more attentive, she turned at the sound of the doors opening.

“Master Korra,” she said brightly. “I’m glad you’re here. We’re ready to get started.”

“All right, good,” Korra replied, trying her best to sound professional. “I heard something about the motivators being stolen while we were away?”

“That’s right,” Asami said, and at the sound of her voice, Korra’s legs immediately wobbled underneath her. She could hear those same sultry tones in her head, whispering, “Of course, Korra. I love you,” as her fingers slid inside, teasing...

_ Stop it. _ She shook her head, trying to banish the image.

Unfortunately, Asami noticed her distraction. “Is everything all right, Korra?”

“Uh, yeah,” she stammered, “I’m still a little groggy.”

The lie didn’t even convince herself, but mercifully, Asami didn’t linger on the point. “Well, I hope your shoulder is feeling better, but Opal’s right that we need to get back to work. The motivators have been taken, and at this point there can’t be any doubt that there was an insider helping Kuvira with these heists.”

"An insider?" Korra asked, struggling to focus. Mercifully, for the moment at least, her fuzzy mind seemed to be following the line of conversation. "They must be someone pretty high up at Future Industries. Any thoughts about ferreting them out?"

"Maybe we should poke around the company," Opal suggested. "We've got a Vice President right here. You can get us in, can't you, Asami?"

Asami smiled, open-mouthed and awkwardly. "Well...actually, my father isn't too keen on Jedi nosing around our business right now. After what happened with Kuvira, he kicked Baatar Junior's people out and told us to heighten security. He isn't sure who to trust anymore."

Korra sighed. That wasn't good news, but it was an understandable reaction on Hiroshi's part. In his position, she probably wouldn't want to trust the Jedi either. "Then what's our next move? That mole could lead us to Kuvira's new base and help us put her operation down for good."

"What about me?" Mako asked. "I'm not affiliated with the Jedi. I could take a look around."

"I'm not sure that's a good idea, either," Asami said.

"Yeah," Bolin chimed in. "Doesn’t Hiroshi hate you?"

"Come on, Bolin," Asami sighed, "my Dad doesn't  _ hate _ Mako..."

"Don't you remember how he acted when the two of you broke up? He's a pretty cool guy, but I'd never seen him so mad..."

Asami gave Bolin a pleading look, urging him to shut his mouth. Korra opened hers to intervene—even though part of her was curious to hear the story—but Opal beat her to it.

"So...the two of you used to be an item?" She looked between Asami and Mako with new understanding. "I'm not looking to pry, just trying to figure out my new teammates a bit better."

"Not anymore," Mako said, at the same time Asami mumbled, "It was a long time ago..."

Opal seemed to accept their rather pathetic explanations. She glanced over at Bolin instead. "What about you? Do you have any old flames I should know about?"

Korra's eyes widened and she had to suppress a snort. This had to be about the most unsubtle line of questioning she had ever witnessed and she wasn't sure whether to be amused or worried.

Fortunately Bolin was too wrapped up in his own awkwardness to notice Opal's. "Me? Oh, no," he said, laughing a little too loud. "I'm available. I mean, single. I'm single. No girlfriend. Not that I don't like girls! I like girls, but I don't have a friend who's a girl...friend."

Korra shared a long-suffering look with Mako, and the two of them shook their heads quietly at each other.

"Let's get back to talking about the mole," Asami said in a tone that suggested she was eager to discuss nearly anything else in the galaxy. "I'll be happy to do some digging, since my father is running everything on a need-to-know basis now. I can go back through our old records and see if there’s anything suspicious there. Meanwhile, we need another plan in case that one doesn't pan out."

"What about our conversation back in the medical ward?" Korra asked. It was a minor struggle not to blush, and she hurried to clarify. "You mentioned Kuvira and her people might be working on something big. Could you get us a complete record of the things that were stolen? Maybe the five of us can figure out what she's trying to do? That might help us narrow down her possible locations."

Asami shook her head. “Unfortunately not. There aren’t really enough data points to work from, and we don’t know what, if anything, she and Baatar might have stolen from other companies or built themselves.  It could be a weapon, a ship, or something else entirely. All I can say for certain is that it’s big and it’s powerful.”

“Oh, that’s really encouraging,” Bolin said. “Kuvira’s building something huge and powerful, and we’ve got no idea where or what it is.”

Opal put her hands on her hips, eyes flashing. “Well, we can’t just sit around here waiting for her to hit us with whatever it is. Master Korra, there has to be  _ something _ we can do.”

“What about the data you downloaded from the station’s computers?” Mako asked Asami.  “Is there anything there that we can use to find Kuvira’s new base?”

Asami dipped her head, her long, wavy hair falling across her face. “I’m afraid that seems to be a dead end as well. Most of what was on the drive related to the mercenaries Kuvira and Baatar have been using. There’s some technical data that should be helpful in coming up with a way to counter the reflective armor they wore, but nothing that tells us where Kuvira is going to strike next or what her larger plans are. What about you, Mako? Has Chief Beifong been able to come up with any leads?”

“No. Baatar is smart. Even while we were on our way back from Kuvira’s base, he was getting all of his people out. Before we could get our hands on them, they left by private transport from a spaceport near the equator; there’s no way to trace where it went.”

Korra could hear the frustration in his voice, could sense it pouring off of everyone in the room even without the aid of the Force. It was a feeling she could empathize with. She was the Chosen One, the one who was supposed to figure out how to deal with the looming threat of the dark side, and she didn’t know what to go next. She was letting all of them down.  _ Letting Asami down _ , she thought before she could stop the sentiment from forming in her mind.  _ Her company is under attack, and you can’t figure out how to stop it _ .

She took a deep breath, trying to push out all of the distractions and work by instinct.  _ Trust your feelings _ , Master Tenzin had always told her.  _ Let the Force flow through you, listen to what it has to tell you, and you will find the answers you seek.  _ Korra exhaled once more, letting all of the things weighing her down slide off: her attraction to Asami, the pressure of being the Chosen One, her anger at Kuvira’s betrayal…  _ That’s it! Kuvira’s anger. Maybe if I can figure out what’s behind it, I can figure out what she’s after. _

Korra opened her eyes once more, allowing the world back in. The rest of the team had been talking to each other, but as she straightened up, their attention turned back to her. “I think I have an idea,” she said. “But I’m going to have to get back to you. There’s someone I have to call first.”

*** * ***

Korra flopped down on the bed as soon as she entered her room at the Jedi Temple, heaving a sigh of exhaustion. Though the pain in her shoulder was all but gone, she still felt exhausted and sore. The lead she was following was slim at best, and the person she was about to call left her with uncomfortable thoughts.

It wasn't that Suyin Beifong was an unpleasant person to talk to. Korra's experiences with her had been overwhelmingly positive. She was a brilliant warrior, strong in the Force, and she loved fiercely—too fiercely for a Jedi, which was why she had left the Order. Korra knew she shouldn't see such strong emotions as an asset, but in Suyin's case, she couldn't help but admire the woman.

Now, though, it was more complicated. In between thoughts of Kuvira was another pervasive whisper, just beyond reach. Thinking about Suyin's choice—or, more accurately, about someone else—made Korra's gut churn in a curious way, putting her in mind again of the dream she'd had the night before...

_ Asami's lips on hers, Asami's hand trailing down her stomach to cup between her legs... _

She shuddered. No matter the stakes at hand, it wouldn't leave her mind. She couldn't help but wonder if this was this same temptation that had caused Suyin to abandon the Order, whether Suyin had felt the same fire licking at her skin and staining her sheets with sweat, or whether Suyin had felt the same curious fluttering in her chest at something as simple as a smile.

Korra had never thought less of Suyin for her choice, unlike some other members of the Order, but now, she felt as if she understood it a little better—and she wasn't certain she wanted to. Part of her wished she could forget.

_ Did she always feel like she didn't fit in with the other Jedi, or did falling in love with her husband awaken something in her? Why did she really leave? _

Well, she wasn't like Suyin. She wasn't going to start doubting the organization she had devoted her entire life to just because she had a brand new crush on a cute girl. Crushes faded. Feelings passed. She had a turned Jedi to stop, and that had to take priority over everything else. Hopefully, Suyin would know something that could help.

Before her resolve could slip again, she pulled out her comm and said, "Suyin Beifong.”

Suyin answered immediately. The holo's eyes were narrowed and her face looked worn. It was almost as though she had been expecting a call—and perhaps, thanks to Tenzin, she had.

"Master Korra. I assume you have new information for me about Kuvira?"

"Actually, Master Suyin, I was hoping you might have information for me." Though Suyin had left the Order long ago, Korra still chose to address her as Master as a form of respect. "I think it's time to share more."

"I've already been updated on what happened at the station," Suyin said without any hesitation. "Tenzin called me first, and Lin shortly after that. Both of their reports are very interesting. Is it true that my daughter is acting as your padawan?"

"Not officially," Korra said. "But yeah, she's helping me on this mission, and I'm keeping an eye on her." Without Suyin having to ask, she added, "Don't worry. Opal's good. Really good. And I'll be sure to watch her back, whatever it takes."

Suyin breathed a soft sigh. "I know you will, Korra. But a mother can't help but worry. Don't tell her we spoke. She needs to keep her mind clear of family bonds if she's going to do what needs to be done. Bad enough that she might have to face Kuvira and her own brother. Bad enough that you have to as well."

Korra caught the unspoken question in those words. "I'm ready for it. I hesitated once, but I won't do it again. The stakes are too high. You don't need to be concerned about that.”

"Then what are you concerned about?" Suyin asked. "There must be something for you to call."

"We don't know Kuvira’s next move," Korra admitted. "We barely escaped the space station with our lives, and by the time we got back to Coruscant, Kuvira and Baatar Junior had packed up their operations here. I have no idea how they did it so quickly, but they managed somehow..."

Suyin didn't seem surprised. "Kuvira's always been resourceful," she stated, a simple fact.

"She said some unusual things too," Korra said. "Things about how corrupt the Jedi were. How the Council always stood by and did nothing to fight real injustice. How they wouldn't step up and protect innocents."

Suyin made a low noise of recognition, lips pressed together. "To be frank, Korra, that's why we're no longer in contact. I did my best to raise Kuvira as my own until I delivered her to the temple with Opal, but we've always had philosophical differences."

"Why? You both think the Order is too stringent."

"I think the Order shows great restraint," Suyin corrected. "Kuvira is young. She hasn't had time to learn what happens when even well-intentioned people gather too much centralized power. I'll tell you, it's never good. The Jedi fight against injustice and to restore balance, but they cannot insert themselves in every skirmish and war. That would make them political, and the Jedi strive to be anything but political."

"So, if Kuvira really wants them to get political, and they're refusing, maybe she's decided to get political herself. But how? It's not like she can just train her own galactic police force..." Korra sighed. "That's exactly what she's doing, isn't she? She and this weird 'Master' of hers are trying to create some kind of... I don't know. Political army. And armies have huge weapons. But none of that helps me figure out where she's hiding."

"She won't be hiding long," Suyin said. "I guarantee it. Her ideals compel her to act. In her mind, she's fighting to prevent injustice. That means overthrowing the corrupt systems currently in place."

"But by the time she acts, it might be too late! She'll use the stolen tech from Future Industries to finish whatever it is she's building."

Suyin shrugged. "Then it sounds like you need to work harder to figure out what that is. What about Miss Sato? You've been working closely with her, haven't you?"

Korra swallowed. She hadn't expected Asami's name to come up so abruptly, and it left her blushing. "Uh..."

"She's a smart girl, from what I've heard. Doesn't she have any ideas?"

"Not, um—not yet... Unrelated question, Suyin. Why did you leave the order? It wasn't for the same reasons as Kuvira, right? It wasn't because you didn't think the Jedi weren't good enough?"

Suyin laughed. “No, it certainly wasn’t that. I was a Jedi for many years, and there was a great deal that I loved about it. The Jedi represent a vision of how a Force user should live, and there’s a great deal to admire about that vision, a great deal that I believe in too. Peace, harmony, reason, service… All of those are noble ideals.”

“Then why leave?”

“Because there are other ways to live in the galaxy besides following the path of the Jedi. And sometimes, a person finds something that makes them unable to keep to that path. In my case, it was love.”

Suyin’s words were accompanied by a smile, a broad, genuine expression that reached all the way up to her green eyes, and Korra felt an unreasonable surge of hope in her heart at the sight. Suyin didn’t  _ look _ like someone who’d fallen. It seemed she’d found a way to balance what she felt, which meant that maybe Korra’s own feelings weren’t destined to spiral out of control either. Still, she was hesitant. “But isn’t passion a path to the dark side?” she asked tentatively.

“It can be,” Suyin conceded. “But it’s rather more complicated than some of the Jedi would have you believe. It’s not the sort of thing I can explain over a brief call, especially when you didn’t get in touch to ask me about my love life. You wanted to talk about Kuvira.”

“Yeah, that’s right,” Korra agreed. “Kuvia.” She badly  _ did _ want to ask more questions about Suyin and Baatar, but she hardly had a good reason for doing so, at least not one that she felt like explaining. Her feelings toward Asami were confusing even to her; she didn’t want to have to talk about them with somebody else. “So, I get that she’s angry about the Jedi not doing enough to enforce order in the galaxy, but what does that mean in concrete terms? What’s her next move going to be?”

Suyin shook her head. “If I knew the answer to that question, I wouldn’t have needed to come to Master Tenzin in the first place. All I can tell you is that to the extent she’s the one making the decisions rather than this ‘Master’ of hers, she won’t wait long, and when she moves, it won’t be subtle. She’ll want to strike at the heart of the problem.”

“At Coruscant, you mean? That’s where the Senate and the Jedi Temple are, so if that’s who she blames for the state of the galaxy...”

Suyin nodded. “Most likely you’re right. Kuvira never believed in half measures.”

Korra felt her gut churn uncomfortably. Everyone seemed to have figured out enough about the situation to be worried, but not enough to help. Kuvira had a master, but Korra didn’t know who it was. She was building a weapon, but Asami couldn’t tell what it would be. She was going to attack Coruscant, but Suyin didn’t know when or how.  _ All I do know is that we’re starting to look pretty well screwed. _


	11. Chapter 11

Asami rubbed at her sore eyes, fighting back a yawn. Despite staring at the same reports for hours, inspiration hadn't struck. She had tried shutting herself away in her office, hoping the privacy and silence would help her think, but the sterile environment wasn't helping. She was restless as well as exhausted, and she couldn't be sure whether the creeping feeling within her was boredom or panic.

Sitting up straighter in her chair, she took a deep breath.  _ You've never been the type to give up, and you aren't stopping now. Korra is depending on you to deliver. _

That thought gave her a second wave of energy. She shut down her monitor and rose from her desk, stretching briefly to loosen her shoulders before she headed toward the door. Asami was through it as soon as it whooshed open, heading straight for the elevator. Her office was efficient, and useful when it came to impressing people, but her father had designed it. She hoped she would have an easier time thinking in a place that felt more like...her.

She tried to empty her mind as the lift carried her down to the hangar. That was where she belonged—building things, putting the pieces together. Her business was taking intangible ideas and putting them into the world: making dreams into reality. If that involved getting her hands dirty sometimes, all the better.

_ At least in my workshop I'll be doing something useful. More useful than sitting alone in my office. _

When the elevator came to a stop, she was surprised to see that the hangar was mostly empty. There were a few people here and there, some old security guards Future Industries had hired before Baatar's intrusion, and a skeleton maintenance crew. Asami frowned, deciding against checking the time. She didn't really want to know how much sleep she was missing.

Instead, she headed over to her workbench and stripped off her suit jacket. She unbuttoned the top of her blouse as well, then stared at the scattered parts in front of her. They came from several new blasters, currently in pieces, but that would soon change. The layered plastoid armor Kuvira's goons wore was durable, but not indestructible. With a few tweaks, she would be able to give them enough firepower to punch through.

She rolled up her sleeves, slipped on her safety goggles, and set to work. Though her blueprints were pasted in one corner of the workbench, she rarely referenced them. Instead, she kept her full attention on the problem in front of her. Piece by piece, the blasters came together. First, she expanded the gas chamber and the power pack that charged it. It would make the guns a bit bulkier, but she would happily sacrifice sleekness for power. Next, she widened the cooling vents to make up for the extra heat. Last, she checked the gel where the magic happened. It was a mixture she had designed herself, meant to conduct energy and separate molecules better than the standard stuff.

"Asami?"

She jerked up, surprised by the interruption. Asami turned around only to see a figure standing surprisingly close behind her—a very familiar figure. "Korra?" she asked, and though her eyes widened in surprise, she couldn't help smiling at the same time. "What are you doing?" She glanced around to make sure none of the security guards were nearby. "You actually aren't supposed to be here, at least according to my Dad. Why didn't you call my comm?"

Korra grinned, looking unrepentant. "I tried. You didn't answer, so I decided to come check on you in person."

"In the middle of the night?"

Korra's expression shifted to mild embarrassment before she got ahold of herself again. "My lead didn't pan out. I called Suyin, but she basically told me what I already knew. We've got a bead on Kuvira's motivation, but we still don't know what she's planning. I don't suppose you've had any better luck?"

"Not yet, but I've been trying to make myself useful anyway. Here." She tossed one of the finished blasters toward Korra. "I know you Jedi prefer your sabers, but Mako and Bolin can use these. I've amplified the power. It should be able to take care of Kuvira's soldiers next time."

Korra studied the blaster with intense interest. "Really? That's great. Can you explain how?"

"Yes, but I'd rather you explain what Kuvira's motivation is," Asami said. "You might know it, but I'm still in the dark. From where I'm standing, it looks like she just wants to build a giant weapon and destroy everything."

"Not everything," Korra said. "She has issues with what she sees as 'corruption'. As far as she's concerned, the Jedi are weak pacifists who aren't strong enough to stand up for their ideals, and Coruscant is a den of depravity."

Asami snorted. "She's not half-wrong about Coruscant...but there are people here who try. Future Industries tries."

"I know. Suyin says Kuvira will come here eventually, so we don't necessarily have to find her. But how are we going to get ready if we don't know what she's building? We can't just let her attack the planet with whatever it is she's working on."

Asami sighed. "And you're sure there's no reasoning with her? I know the two of you fought..."

“I don’t think there is. It’s not just that we fought. Kuvira is committed to what she’s doing. She really believes it’s what’s best for the galaxy—that however many lives she has to take, she’ll save more in the long run.”

“Save them?” Asami asked, her brow furrowing skeptically. “How?”

“I don’t know exactly, but she’s convinced the Jedi have already failed. Right before we fought, she kept going on about this one time the Order didn’t protect all of these people in the Outer Rim.” 

Her shoulders slumped, and Asami didn’t have to be a Jedi to sense how unhappy Korra was. In spite of the awkwardness between them since their conversation in the infirmary, Asami couldn’t fight the surge of sympathy she felt. She reached out, putting a hand on Korra’s shoulder. “Look, whatever incident she was talking about, I’m sure you did your best, Korra. We haven’t known each other very long, but I’ve never seen you give less than that.”

Korra didn’t object to the hand, merely shaking her head ruefully. “Thanks, Asami, but she actually wasn’t talking about something I screwed up. It was from way back, when I was still a Youngling. Do you remember the Queen of Mirial?”

Asami couldn’t have been more shocked if someone had plunged a vibro-blade into her stomach. Hearing that name brought a wave of painful memories crashing over her, but she did her best to fight them off. Even all these years later, the loss was still keen. Her hand slipped off of Korra’s shoulder, and all she could manage was a mumbled, “I do.”

Korra either didn’t notice her reaction or chose not to pry. “Well, Kuvira seemed to be really hung up on her. She’d killed all these people on her home planet, but the Republic and the Jedi didn’t do anything about it until she started attacking Republic shipping. It actually seemed kind of strange that Kuvira would bring that up. I mean, people who want to blame the Jedi for stuff usually talk about Exar Kun or Revan or something, not some random warlord from ten years ago.”

_ Unless it isn’t random. _ The blade in Asami’s stomach twisted ever deeper as her mind raced through the possible implications of Kuvira’s interest in the Queen of Mirial. Her mouth, however, seemed to be paralyzed and after several seconds of silence, Korra seemed to notice her distress. She offered Asami a nervous smile and asked, “Hey. What’s wrong? What did I say?”

Asami could hear the hesitation in Korra’s voice, along with genuine concern, and under other circumstances it might have touched her more. Now, though, it barely registered. “No, it’s fine, Korra,” she managed to reply. “It’s just late and I’m tired. Kuvira really didn’t say why she was bringing up Mirial?”

Korra shook her head. “Not beyond that it was at time the Jedi screwed up. I was thinking about it on my way over her though, and I remembered that Master Suyin rescued her from one of the Outer Rim planets. She never talked about her past much, but maybe it was Mirial. It would have been before the war but maybe she still had some kind of tie to the place.”

_ Or someone else did.  _ With every passing second, Asami became surer that she knew what was really going on, but she couldn’t bring herself to give voice to her suspicions. Not yet. Not until she had proof one way or the other. Instead, she said to Korra, “You might be right. I really don’t know.”

She must have sounded more standoffish than she intended, because Korra held up her hands apologetically.  “Hey, okay, I get it. You don’t know what’s going on. Nobody knows anything about anything. Sorry.”

Asami sighed. The last thing she wanted was to add a fight with Korra to all of her other problems. “No, I’m the one who’s sorry. Like I said, I’m tired and irritable. Let me try to get some sleep and we can come at this fresh in the morning.”

Korra smiled weakly, seeming relieved that she wasn’t in trouble with Asami. “Okay, then. That’s probably a good idea. Let’s all go to bed. In our own beds, I mean.” Flushing with embarrassment, Korra whirled on her heels quickly and turned to leave. Once the Jedi was safely out of her workshop, Asami let her shoulders slump and the extent of her worry show on her face. She hadn’t been lying to Korra entirely; she  _ was _ exhausted, but that didn’t mean she was going to bed. She couldn’t. Not until she learned the truth.

***

Asami fidgeted as the lift rose, watching the lighted numbers indicating each floor flash by. Her father's office was at the very top of the Future Industries building, and though the journey up only took a minute or so, it felt far longer. She concentrated on her breathing, trying to calm the anxious churning of her stomach.

_ In. Out. In. Out. _

Thoughts screamed in her head, competing for attention: Korra, Kuvira, the Queen of Mirial, and...

The elevator came to a stop, the doors opening to reveal the hallway that led to her father's office. The lights switched on as she stepped forward, not the blinding fluorescent models from the halls below, but softer ones that only half-illuminated the dark maroon carpet. Unlike other parts of the building, her father's office was less gleaming, sterile silver and more organic. Gold-framed portraits lined the walls, and Asami stopped in front of the largest one.

Three faces stared back at her, three well-dressed figures with black hair and fair skin. The tallest, her father, was smiling behind his mustache, looking years younger than he did now despite the small pair of spectacles perched on the bridge of his nose. At his hip, Asami saw a younger version of herself. She was grinning, one of her hands resting on her father's knee. Standing behind her was a tall woman in a wide-shouldered red dress, her hair falling in ringlets around her beautiful face.

Asami gazed at the woman for a long moment. Her father had made it a point to keep pictures of her mother in important places even after her death, but sometimes, her face still seemed unfamiliar. Occasionally, Asami tried to age it up in her head, struggling to imagine how her mother would have looked if she had lived to grow older. Tonight, she could almost picture it—a few more lines around the face, some streaks of grey in her hair, but the same tender eyes.

She turned away, continuing down the hall. Her father's office doors had the appearance of wood, but the scanner beside them broke the illusion of primitivism. Asami leaned forward, setting her palm against the screen and letting it scan her eyes as well. She was one of the only people with the proper security clearance to enter her father's office while he wasn't there.

After a moment, the light flashed green and the doors swung open. It was empty, as she had expected, but Asami still hesitated before entering. She was still frightened of what she suspected she would find inside—what some part of her  _ knew _ she would find. As soon as Korra had mentioned Mirial, cold fingers of dread had hooked themselves into her heart. But another part still hoped that she was wrong.

It was that hope that coaxed Asami forward. She walked over to her father's desk, sitting in his chair and resting her elbows on the armrests. Instead of activating the terminal, she ran her palms over the smooth leather. Her father had promised that she would sit here someday, and he had made every effort to impress upon her the heavy responsibility that taking ownership of Future Industries would bring.

_ I trusted him. I thought he trusted me. So why has it come to this? _

There was no way to answer that question until she knew the truth, so she did her best to put aside as much of her trepidation as she could and proceed. Asami touched the small, grey button in front of the screen. Seconds later, the darkened office was illuminated by a blue prompt.

_ Enter ID and Password _

Automatically, Asami typed her own username and pass code, but as soon as she confirmed them, her heart clenched still tighter.

_ Access denied. Recheck your ID and/or password. _

Asami made another attempt, but she knew even before the error message reappeared on the screen that it would fail.  _ I’ve had access to my father’s system for years. Why would he shut me out all of a sudden unless… _

She didn’t allow herself to finish the thought, instead focusing on the problem at hand. Just because she wasn’t allowed into the files didn’t mean she wouldn’t read them, and cracking her knuckles, she began a bypass on the terminal. Future Industry’s security protocols were good, but she was intimately familiar with both their strengths and their weaknesses.  Her father might have locked her out, but he hadn’t altered the underlying password architecture, and it didn’t take her to long to find a way in.

_ Welcome, Hiroshi Sato _ , the screen now read, and Asami swallowed hard. This was the point of no return. Once she read what was in her father’s files, there would be no way to unlearn what she would learn, and a panicky part of her wanted to shut the system down, slip back to her own office, and pretend that this was all in her head. But then she thought of what was at stake, of Kuvira and Baatar, and of Korra, how desperate the Jedi was to get to the bottom of this, and she knew she had no choice. Her hand shook, but she lifted it up to the interface anyway and began to open the relevant files.

It didn’t take her long to find what she was looking for. As soon as Asami began to examine her father’s outgoing messages, the proof was right there, staring back at her from the screen, unambiguous and terrible.

_ Baatar, _

_ The motivators have been moved to a warehouse in the Sector 4892, at the attached geo-coordinates. Security there should be easy enough for you to deal with; my daughter and her associates have left the planet, so they won’t interfere this time. Use the same bypass as before for the locks and alarms. Let me know if there are any complications; it would be best if there were no further delays to the overall plan, given the outside interest that your activities have already attracted. _

_ Hiroshi Sato _

Asami went cold, all of the warmth draining from her heart. As terrible as her suspicions had been, having them confirmed was far worse. Her father was the mole, and not only did she know, soon everyone else would too.

_ Or… _ Or, she could simply forget what she had discovered. Her father was a good man. He had proven it since her birth, time and time again. Never before had she questioned his intentions or his love for her, and now, she found herself struggling to believe the truth even though it was blazing right in front of her face. She bit her lip. It would be a simple matter to clear the history before everyone else saw, perhaps give him a chance to explain…

_ No. _ She shook her head silently in the dark, jaw tensing. Her father had taught her better than that. He and her mother had raised her to be honest above all else, even in the cutthroat world of business. She couldn’t go back on those lessons now, no matter what her teacher had done. Besides, there were other lives at risk here, other people whose safety depended on finding the mole.

_ Korra. I have to call Korra,  _ she thought, but before Asami got in touch with her, she had to get out of her father’s office.

But before she left, she had to save the proof for Chief Beifong and the Jedi. Working fast, Asami began to assemble the incriminating files so that she could forward them to her own system. Each shipping manifest, communication, and leaked technical readout only confirmed what she now knew, but Asami couldn’t stop herself from reading all of them, her eyes glazing over as she took in every new detail of the betrayal of everything she thought her father had stood for.

And that was how she missed it. Asami was so lost in the documents that she didn’t hear anything until the silence of the office was shattered by three words from a voice that she used to think she could trust.

“Working late, dear?”


	12. Chapter 12

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey, all. We thought it was fitting to post this one today, featuring our two badass ladies, in some small honor of the passing of the original badass Star Wars lady, Princess Leia. Goodbye, Carrie Fisher, you will be missed.

Asami remained staring at the terminal screen for several seconds. Thanks to the familiar voice, she didn't need to look up to know who had interrupted her. But try as she might, she couldn't picture the expression on her father's face. Would it be angry? Disappointed? Afraid? Perhaps even affectionate, as it had so often been before?

Eventually, she forced herself to look. What she saw was none of those things: Hiroshi’s expression was a blank, frightening neutrality that was somehow more alien and more unsettling than even anger would have been. Obviously, he as waiting for her to speak.

With one last press of her finger, Asami finished forwarding the documents to herself. Then, she stood up from her father's chair and turned to face him. "Hey, Dad. What are you doing here?"

"I could ask the same of you." Hiroshi's eyes peered into hers, intense and burning, as if to try and see into her soul.

Asami took a deep breath. She wasn't going to hide anything—not now, not after the sickening dishonesty she had discovered. Her conscience wouldn't let her. "I think you already know."

Hiroshi's blank expression softened. For a moment, she saw regret in the tight muscles around his eyes, in the thin pull of his lips. "Asami, I was wrong to keep this from you. My intention was to protect you."

"Protect me?" Asami repeated. She shook her head in disbelief, the words throbbing on her tongue, the knot in her chest tightening. "I saw the messages. The instructions to Baatar. Why?" Her voice cracked on the question, but she kept speaking through the hoarseness. "My father would never do this. He would never betray his home, his daughter, his good name—"

"Asami, please, let me explain. . ."

"Then explain." Asami clenched her fists, feeling her fingers creak inside her glove. Her thumb hovered over the activation switch in the center, hesitating. "Why would you work with someone like Baatar? Like Kuvira? What are you helping them to do?"

The look of regret on Hiroshi's face faded and something else flickered beneath. Anger—an old, deep anger Asami had never expected to see in him. "Because the way things are cannot stand. The Republic is broken. The Jedi refuse to admit this, refuse to acknowledge the death that their corruption allows. Kuvira and her allies see it. They want to do something."

A shiver raced down Asami's spine. She had heard her father speak about the Republic with disapproval before, perhaps even a low-boiling anger, but never this spitting hatred. Apparently, he had been containing himself for a very long time. "And why do you think the Republic is broken? And what about our company? Our life here?"

Hiroshi's anger gave way to pain, a pain Asami felt lance deep into her own stomach. "It's a life your mother was supposed to share with us. She died because the Republic and the Jedi did nothing."

Asami's mind flashed back to her mother's pale face in the portrait. "She wouldn't have wanted this. She wouldn't have held the entire Republic and the Jedi accountable for the actions of one insane monarch."

“Your mother isn’t here to decide whether or not to hold them accountable,” Hiroshi snapped. He took two strides further into the office and Asami tensed. Her father’s face was reddening and Asami could see a thick vein along his neck pulse with the force of his anger.

“But the Jedi didn’t kill her,” she insisted. “It was the Queen of Mirial who attacked mom’s ship.”

“And it was the Jedi and the Republic who ignored the threat she posed until it was too late. If they’d made a mistake, that would’ve been more forgivable. But this was policy.” Hiroshi stopped in front the desk, bracing his hands on its surface. “You’re too young to remember this, Asami, but when the massacres first started on Mirial, there were those who urged the Senate to send in the Jedi to overthrow the queen before things got any worse. But instead, they did nothing. They and the Jedi Council declared that since her system wasn’t part of the Republic, they had no authority to act there. It wasn’t until their ships, your mother’s ship, were hit by her raiders that they acted, and by then it was too late. Kuvira won’t do that. She and I will make sure that people like the Queen of Mirial are stopped before they can hurt innocent civilians.”

Asami opened her mouth to respond, but he words caught in her throat. She had assumed that Kuvira was a self-evident villain, her actions obviously beyond the pale. Hearing her father actually defend Kuvira was something that Asami hadn’t expected, and she wasn’t prepared to respond.  _ But I shouldn’t really be surprised, should I? My father wouldn’t do this without a good reason. _

She desperately wanted to believe that, and sensing her hesitation, Hiroshi pressed his case. “I know this may seem like a radical step, Asami. And it is. But the Republic and the Jedi have been failing the galaxies for centuries. A change has to be made, and half-measures aren’t going to suffice. If some have to suffer for a greater good, then that’s a hard choice I’m prepared to make. I didn’t want to bring you into this, but now that you know the truth, I hope I can count on you to make it with me.”

“No.” The first time she said the word, it was barely audible even to herself, and so Asami repeated it as she rose from her chair, pulling herself level with Hiroshi. “No, I won’t help you to do this. Dad, I don’t deny that the Republic has problems, but the answer isn’t to have it conquer the rest of the galaxy, and it certainly isn’t to turn to someone like Kuvira. According to Korra, she’s fallen to the Dark Side.”

“Korra is an empty-headed child being manipulated by the Jedi Council,” Hiroshi growled. “I wouldn’t take anything she says at face value.”

“She is not!” Asami insisted, her eyes burning as she stared down her father. “She’s been nothing but helpful and brave since this began, and I trust her a lot more than I do you right now.”

A look of hurt crossed Hiroshi's face, not dredged-up anger from the past, but new and raw pain. Asami could sense the difference. He was looking directly at her, and though her heart ached with disappointment, she couldn't feel guilty for speaking the truth.

"I wish it hadn't come to this, Asami," Hiroshi said, shaking his head slowly. "I apologize, but this is for your own good." He pulled out his comm and lifted it to his lips. "Guards, please detain this intruder in my office."

The doors hissed open and Asami started, taking a step back. Three men entered, all wearing Future Industries security uniforms and carrying blasters. Upon seeing her, they stopped in the middle of raising them, and Asami felt a flicker of hope. Perhaps they wouldn't want to fire on the Vice President of Future Industries. But then her father gave them a nod and said, "Try to apprehend her without injury, if you can."

_ If you can. _

Asami's mind reeled. Her father was actually giving these guards permission to hurt her if it came to that. Her eyes narrowed in anger and she jammed her thumb into the middle of her glove to activate it. No matter what, she wasn't going to allow herself to be taken quietly.

The first guard aimed his blaster at her chest. "Please, Miss Sato, hold your hands out where we can secure them."

Asami counted on his hesitation. Instead of complying, she dropped to the ground behind her father's desk. The sound of blaster fire never came, but she did hear booted footsteps headed fast toward her. She crouched low, waiting patiently. The second she saw the nearest guard's greaves, her arm shot out. She grasped his leg, sending a jolt from her glove straight through his armor. He cried out in surprise and pain, toppling backwards and nearly colliding with the second guard behind him.

With the speed of fear, Asami crawled toward the other side of the desk. Unfortunately, she ran straight into the third guard. There was no time to perform the same trick. He was an arm's length away and already pointing his blaster at her. "Stand and remove your glove."

Asami reacted on instinct. She launched herself from a crawl into a crouch and barreled straight into his stomach, hoping he wouldn't shoot her first. Her shoulder caught his gut, tipping him off balance and she shoved past him while he regained his footing, taking off for the door at a run—only to find her father standing in the way.

"I'm disappointed," Hiroshi said, the expression on his face clearly showing it. "Don't, Asami. I don't want you to get hurt—"

"Then you shouldn't have done this." From the corner of her eye, Asami could see the guards closing in on her from behind. She knew she wouldn't be able to surprise them again and if she hesitated any longer, they would fire.

Making up her mind, she did the only thing she could think of. She grabbed her father's arm with her gloved left hand. "Don't shoot," she said, staring straight into the security guards' visors. "Or I'll be the one signing your paychecks."

"Don't listen to her," Hiroshi said. "She won't shock me."

"You ordered your men to attack me," she whispered, her voice trembling. "There's no going back from this, Dad."

Her words must have cut deeply because she saw real hurt flash behind Hiroshi’s eyes. “Asami, we can still fix this,” he implored. “Just let go of me and put down the glove. No one has to get hurt.”

_ If only that were true.  _ But it was too late. The fate of the Republic was at stake, and Asami had to act fast. She paused for an instant, considering her options. Behind her, the two guards she hadn’t shocked were closing in, while the third was struggling back to his feet, and so she loosened her grip on Hiroshi’s arm just a bit.

It had the desired effect. The guards thought she was getting ready to surrender, and she saw their concentration waver slightly as they prepared to take her into custody. As soon as it did, she grabbed her father once again and activated the gauntlet. She was unwilling to leave it on full power, but even the jolt from the reduced setting was enough to make Hiroshi twitch. While he was incapacitated, Asami moved. Spinning behind her father, she shoved his body in-between herself and the guards, creating a barrier she knew they wouldn’t be willing to shoot through.

Without sparring a look behind her, Asami darted off down the hallway. Just as she’d hoped, it took the guards several seconds to get her father out of their way, but once they did, they opened fire. Maybe their blasters were set to stun, maybe they weren’t, but she didn’t intend to find out.

Ducking and weaving, she made it to the end of the corridor without getting hit and slammed the lift call button. Fortunately, it was late enough that no one else had summoned it since her father and his guards and the doors slid open immediately. Unfortunately, Asami couldn’t get on right away. The guards fired another volley of blaster bolts and she had to throw herself to the ground to avoid being hit. A second later, she rolled to the right out of the way of still more shots, a move that kept her in one piece, but also further from the elevator.

_ Why didn’t I bring my blaster?  _ she demanded of herself before the answer sprung into brutal form.  _ Because I never thought I’d need to it defend myself from my own father. _

That had been her mistake, and now Asami was unarmed aside from her gauntlet. That was useless at this range, and there was nowhere to go on the topmost floor of Future Industries except to the office. She had to risk it, and so Asami dove back to the left and sprang through the elevator doors before they could close on her.

She wasn’t quite fast enough. A blaster bolt struck her leg as she made it onto the elevator. Mercifully, it been set for stun, but Asami still winced as numbness spread up her calf. There was no time for weakness though, and before she could get hit again, she reached up, pressing the button for the lobby along with the one to close the doors immediately.

As the lift began to move, Asami could hear several more blaster bolts impact harmlessly off of the now-closed doors. Her leg was numb, but the effect of the stun would probably have worn off enough that she could keep moving by the time she made it to the ground floor. And she had to keep moving. Asami wasn’t sure where she was going to go next, but one thing was certain: Future Industries wasn’t safe for her anymore.

* * *

Korra awoke to a shrill beeping beside her ear and the low rumble of metal buzzing against metal. Her comm was going off, but when she blinked her bleary eyes, she saw that the room was still dark. She reached out with one hand, fumbling around on her nightstand until she found it.

"Mmhello?"

"Korra, are you at the temple?"

Korra's eyes widened. She sat up in bed, suddenly far more alert. "Asami, is that you?"

"Yes, sorry. Are you at the temple?"

"Yeah...why?" The tone of Asami's voice had Korra furrowing her brow. "Is something wrong?"

Asami gave an exhausted, manic sort of laugh. "You could say that. My father is the mole at Future Industries and has been all along. He's working with Kuvira, Baatar Junior, and whoever their 'Master' is."

It took Korra a few moments to process the information. She never would have suspected Hiroshi Sato, of all people, of giving away his own technology under the guise of having it stolen. Still, Asami wasn't the type to lie. Despite her incredulity, Korra believed every word. "Okay. Are you in danger?"

"Not anymore."

_ Not anymore. _

Somehow, those words weren't reassuring.

"I'm en route to the Jedi Temple. I don't know where else to go. My father's guards are almost certainly still looking for me. . ." Her voice got faster with every word, and Korra's stomach lurched.

"Hey, Asami, slow down," she murmured, hoping she sounded at least a little reassuring. She jumped out of bed and began searching for her discarded clothes one-handed. "I know this is bad, but you aren't alone, all right? I’m going to come meet you and make sure you're safe. Then we can figure out what to do next together."

"Together. Okay." Asami took a deep breath, audible even over the comm. "Thank you, Korra. I'm almost there."

"Me too. Stay on the line with me just in case, okay?"

Korra set the comm down on the bed for a moment, pulling her leggings and tunic on as fast as possible. Once she was passably dressed, she summoned her lightsaber with a wave of her hand and ran out into the hallway, still clutching the comm in her sweaty palm. "I'm on my way to the docking bay. Do you want me to wake Tenzin—"

"No," Asami said, almost immediately. Then, a quieter, "No. I. . . I just need to talk to you first. I need to. . ."

Korra bit her lip. She knew she would get an earful if Tenzin found out she had kept such information from him, even for the few minutes it took to comfort Asami, but compassion outweighed logic.  _ She's just found out her father is a traitor. She doesn't need Tenzin breathing down her neck. What she needs is a hug from a friend. _ Perhaps it was an un-Jedi-like decision, but she didn't care. Asami needed her.

She arrived at the docking bay swiftly. "Asami?" she said into the comm, "Where are you?"

"Just pulling in." Moments later, Korra saw the bright lights of a shuttle overhead and heard the whir of engines. It touched down in an empty space and the pilot-side door opened. Asami stepped out, but instead of hurrying toward Korra, she stumbled, seeming to misjudge her balance. Her face contorted with frustration, but she began limping forward anyway.

"Wait, you're hurt." Korra rushed over, sliding an arm beneath Asami's to offer support. "What happened?"

"From a blaster," Asami said. She looked paler than usual, although there wasn't any blood visible on her clothes. "It was the only shot they landed." She hesitated and her face turned dark. "My father ordered some of his guards to 'apprehend' me."

"He ordered them to fire on you?" Korra shook her head in disbelief. "I. . ."

"I can't believe it either," Asami said. "Please, just help me inside."

"I'll help you to the medical wing," Korra insisted.

Asami shook her head. "Please, no. It was only a stun shot. It’ll wear off on its own. Just take me to your room for a bit. I. . .I need a moment to breathe. To think. Please?"

Korra couldn't say no to Asami's request, not while her green eyes were shining with tears and her entire body was trembling. Without further objections, Korra helped Asami out of the docking bay and over to the lift.

It didn't take them long to reach Korra's room despite Asami's condition. They managed, clumsily but functionally, to get Asami into Korra's bed and prop her leg up on a pillow. Korra had been hit with stun blasters in training, and she knew it took a while before the affected limb would feel right. The idea that Asami’s own father had done this to her…

"Asami, I'm so sorry."

"He's the one who'll be sorry," Asami said in a flat voice. "I copied all his files and sent them to myself. I've got proof of what he and Kuvira have been doing."

"So you're going to use them?" Korra wasn't really surprised. In the short time they had known each other, Asami had always struck her as honest and brave, even during difficult times.

"Yes. Maybe. I don't know." Asami closed her eyes. "Yes, I'm going to give them to Chief Beifong as soon as I stop feeling like my heart is going to explode out of my chest. I can't let him do this, even if he is my father."

"Did he explain why he was working with Kuvira?" Korra asked.

Asami nodded. "Yes. My mother. He blames the Jedi and the Republic for her death. He thinks Kuvira will hold radicals and criminals more accountable in her 'new world'."

Korra’s brow furrowed. “Your mother was killed by the Jedi?” Asami had never made mention of that before. In fact, she hadn’t discussed her mother at all—something that had piqued Korra’s curiosity from time to time, although she had never asked questions.

“Not exactly. She was killed when her ship was seized by pirates working for the Queen of Mirial. The Senate and the Jedi Council had refused to do anything about her reign of terror until after that attack. If they had intervened sooner...”

Korra’s eyes widened as she retraced Asami’s logic. “That’s how you knew it was him, wasn’t it? When I told you that Kuvira was ranting about Mirial.”

A tiny smile crossed Asami’s face, a bitter expression that made Korra’s stomach lurch. “I suspected. But I wasn’t sure. That’s why I went to my father’s office alone. I couldn’t tell anyone else what I was thinking until I had proof. I guess that wasn’t such a good idea.”

There was enough sadness wrapped up in Asami’s words to crack Korra’s heart in half. Tears were forming in Asami’s green eyes even as Korra did her best to smile back. “It’s not your fault. You couldn’t have known he would go so far.”

_ Just like I didn’t know that Kuvira would.  _ Betrayal had become something she and Asami had in common, but this must be even worse than her own pain. Seeing her friend fall to the Dark Side had been terrible enough for Korra, but to have your father do the same…. She couldn’t imagine what it must be like inside of Asami’s head right now.

“Thank you for that, Korra.” Asami took hold of her hand. “It’s so hard to know who I can trust anymore. My whole life, the one person in the galaxy I could always count on was him.”

Korra could feel Asami’s hand tremble in hers and she squeezed it reassuringly. It was doubtful how much comfort she could possibly offer in the face of something like this, but she had to try. “I know what you mean. I… for what it’s worth, you can trust me.”

“I know I can. That’s why I came here tonight.” Asami looked up at her, and when she did, her smile had changed, real warmth now behind it. The look in her eyes was like nothing Korra had ever seen before, and yet it was incredibly familiar at the same time. It drew Korra back into her dream, to the way that Asami had look just before they kissed…

She felt as if she were in that moment once more. The words, “I’m glad you did,” somehow fell from her lips, but they didn’t even matter, speech overwhelmed by a deeper connection. Asami’s head was tilting toward hers, and without thought, Korra leaned in to meet it.

It was wrong. All her training, all of Tenzin’s lessons told her that she had to stop. But it felt as if the universe, the Force itself, was pushing her forward. Asami was right there before her, beautiful, and sad, and needing whatever comfort Korra could offer her.

And Korra needed it too. She’d been draw to Asami since the day they’d met, and though she’d denied her feelings and tried to ignore them, it hadn’t worked. Everything was falling apart, and all she wanted was to stop hiding and accept her feelings.


	13. Chapter 13

The moment Korra's lips touched hers, Asami was undone. Her mouth trembled. Her face burned. Her eyes watered with tears—whether from confusion or grief or happiness, she had no idea, but they wouldn't be stopped. Her heart was soaring faster than a speeder and she couldn't for the life of her slow it down. She didn't  _ want _ to slow it down.

Without thinking, her hands reached up. She wrapped her arms around Korra's neck, not pressuring, not pushing, but simply holding onto someone she cared about. It didn't even matter what this kiss would mean afterward. Korra was here for her, and Asami's first instinct was to cling to the Jedi with all her might.

But she couldn't cling for long. Just as she was gathering the courage to swipe her tongue against Korra's bottom lip in a silent invitation for deeper contact, Korra's comm crackled to life.

"Korra? Korra, are you there?"

Korra jerked away at the sound of her name while Asami hurried to pull her arms back even as she realized that Korra's hands had already migrated to her waist. The two of the avoided looking at each other as Korra fumbled for her communicator. "Uh... yes? Master Tenzin?"

"I'm sorry to wake you, but this is urgent. We've had reports of an unauthorized vehicle arriving at the temple—"

"It's fine, Master Tenzin," Korra said, her voice suddenly all business. "Asami Sato needed a safe place to stay." She looked at Asami again, her eyes questioning and uncertain, clearly trying to figure out how much more to say.

Though she was still overwhelmed by the kiss, Asami managed to nod. She couldn't hide her father's complicity forever.  _ That's why you sent the documents to yourself, after all. You knew what you would have to do. _ "Go ahead, Korra. It's okay."

Korra's face hardened once more. "She was attacked at Future Industries tonight. Her father is working with Kuvira."

"What?" Asami could hear the surprise in Tenzin's voice clearly even though she wasn't the one holding the comm. "Are you sure? This is an incredible accusation—"

"We're sure. Asami has evidence. Hiroshi Sato has been the mole all along."

The certainty in Korra's voice was something of a comfort to Asami.  _ Korra said, 'we're sure'. We. Not 'she'. _ The confidence and support helped her breathe a little easier.

"Then we need to work fast," Tenzin said. "Have you alerted Chief Beifong?"

"We were just about to," Korra responded. "Asami had an injury that needed treating first. Police headquarters is our next stop."

"No, stay right where you are. It's too dangerous to let Miss Sato leave the temple right now. I'll ask Chief Beifong and some of her officers to meet us here. I fear the time for low-key investigation is over."

A pit formed in Asami's stomach. Somehow, Tenzin's words made it all the more real. Some part of her had clung to the hope that tonight was some strange dream. Her father's betrayal, not to mention Korra's kiss, seemed like things that couldn't happen in reality. But they  _ were _ real, and she would have to deal with both of them.

_ Father first. This...the kiss...can wait, at least for now. _

She held out her hand for the comm, which Korra passed over with a look of surprise. "Master Tenzin, I think we need to get some police officers or Jedi to Future Industries as quickly as possible. My father was working below the radar, and now that he's been exposed, he'll probably go underground to meet Kuvira. He wouldn't have had time to take much, so I think we can salvage most of the ships and technology at our headquarters. Speaking as the. . ." She hesitated for only the briefest of moments before continuing. "As the Acting President of Future Industries, they're yours to use in tracking him down. I want to help however I can."

_ Time for you to find out what it feels like to be chased out of your own company, dad. _ Even as it passed through her mind, Asami knew it was an unworthy thought, but she couldn’t help having it. To have been forced to limp away from Future Industries, fleeing from her father’s guards, had been humiliating and some small, angry part of her thought that turnabout was fair play.

“I’ll call Chief Beifong immediately,” Tenzin told her. “My guess is there won’t be much resistance, and her people should be closer to the scene. Time of is of the essence here, and we can’t give your father any more of a chance to destroy evidence than he already has. We really need either his files or something else at Future Industries to give us a location for Kuvira, or at least a better idea of what she’s planning. In the meantime, I’ll gather the Jedi Council; if Kuvira has been receiving this kind of help, then matters have become even more serious and we have to consider our next moves carefully.”

“That’s a good idea,” Asami agreed. “I’ll need to get in touch with the other board members of Future Industries. They have to be filled in on what’s happened as well.”  _ Especially since I’ll need them to actually make me acting president of the company. _

Korra hadn’t spoken in some time and when she did, her voice was shakier than usual. “Okay, then. You guys do that, and when you’ve figured out what you need me to do, just let me know.” 

Either Tenzin was too distracted to notice Korra sounded off her game, or he assumed it was due to everything else going on, because he ended the call without further comment, leaving the two of them with an awkward silence.

After several seconds, the weight of it was too much to bare, and Asami managed to say, “So, um, about before, I’m sorry that I…”

“I’m the one who should be sorry,” Korra blurted out. “You were really upset and I shouldn’t have done what I…”

Asami could feel her skin flushing, though whether from embarrassment or the memory of that kiss was hard to say. “I thought I was the one who started…”

“I guess maybe we both did it.”

Korra laughed nervously at her own observation, and Asami found herself joining in, a giggle that soon turned louder and more heartfelt. There was something so genuine about Korra, and something irresistibly funny about how awkward both of them were being about a kiss given the other crises they were facing.  _ Me especially.  I mean, I can’t imagine Korra has much experience with romance, but I’m never this way. _

When they finally did stop laughing, Asami said, “I think you might be right. We both wanted to do that, which would normally be great, but it’s more complicated because you’re a Jedi. At some point, we’ll have to talk about it, but now isn’t really the best time. What do you say to the two of us trying to get through the next few days in one piece, and then figuring out what’s going on with us afterward?”

“Yeah, that’s probably the way to go.”

Asami wasn’t quite sure what to make of Korra’s response. There were so many notes in the Jedi’s voice: relief, confusion, and disappointment were the most prominent of those that she thought she’d picked out. It would make her head spin if she allowed herself to focus on it for too long, but that simply wasn’t a luxury she had at the moment.

"Okay then. Still friends?" Asami stuck out her hand for a shake before realizing how awkward the gesture was. After tasting Korra's lips, it seemed far too stiff and formal for the feelings bubbling up inside her chest. She started to pull it back, her smile becoming strained, but to her surprise and relief, Korra took her hand.

She didn't shake though, but instead squeezed tight, a clasp that was clearly meant to be affectionate. "Of course we're still friends. Whatever happens, I don't want that to change. I'll be here to help you through this mess until we're both on the other side, all right?"

Asami let out a long sigh of relief. "All right. And Korra, thank you."

"No, thank you," Korra insisted. "What you did tonight was really brave. You probably won't hear many other people say this while everything's so chaotic, so I will. You're a hero. Not just anyone could stand up to their own father like that."

Heat spread from the points of Asami's cheeks until her entire face burned. "I..." She swallowed down the words 'I'm not'. Her father had taught her never to dismiss a well-earned compliment. That was one lesson, at least, that she still believed in. Soon, she knew, she would have to parse through the rest of them to figure out what was real and what wasn't, so she could form her own moral code. "That's sweet. I just hope it's enough."

"We'll make sure it is," Korra said, the light of determination glowing in her blue eyes. "Kuvira's gone too far by pulling your father into this. I'll make sure she's stopped, I promise."

* * *

It wasn't too much later that there was a knock on Korra's door. She left the bed, where she had been hovering close to Asami's side in an attempt to offer comfort while the engineer sent out messages to the board and Chief Beifong, and headed over to open it. The Force seemed calm, and she didn't sense any danger, but just in case, she called out, "Who is it?" before reaching for the controls.

"It's Opal. Tenzin sent me to come get you."

Korra opened the door. Opal was indeed standing in the hallway, and her expression was more concerned than Korra had ever seen it before. "Is everything all right?"

Opal snorted. "The President of Future Industries has thrown in with Kuvira. What do you think?"

Korra narrowed her eyes, crossing her arms over her chest. "You don't need to be sarcastic." She gave a subtle nod backwards to where Asami was still sitting on the edge of her bed. "She's had a rough night, okay?" she added in a softer voice.

"I'm fine, Korra," Asami said, coming to join them in the doorway. "For what it's worth, Opal, my father isn't acting as the President of Future Industries any longer. At least, not if he wants to keep from getting arrested. I'll be taking over in the interim, and the Jedi Council and Coruscant's police force have my full support."

"You'll need to talk to Chief Beifong about that last part," Opal said. "His name's on everything related to the business. Unless he's got a warrant out for his arrest. . ."

"Chief Beifong is here?" Korra asked.

Opal nodded. "She, Mako, and Bolin just arrived."

Korra was surprised by the inclusion of Bolin's name, but decided not to question it. There were more important matters to deal with, and if he had joined his brother, that meant one more person on their side who knew how to fire a blaster. "Asami, are you ready to go?" she asked, turning back to check on her friend.  _ Friend. Right.  _ Her heart was still pounding from the kiss, a feeling she was sure wasn’t going away anytime soon.

Asami straightened her shoulders. "Yes. I've sent Chief Beifong everything I have on my father, and the Council can discuss what to do with the information."

Opal's dark look shifted into one of approval and admiration. "Then come on, Asami. I'll show you the way."

Asami made to step out into the hall, and at the same time, Korra leaned back into the room to try and grab her lightsaber from the nightstand. Their bodies brushed at an awkward angle, and Korra squirmed by as quickly as possible. "Sorry," she mumbled, rubbing the back of her neck and trying not to think of how it had felt to be pressed so close.

"It's fine," Asami murmured.

Once she grabbed her weapon, the three of them hurried to the lifts. They spent the ride in silence, and it felt like a very long time before they arrived at the hallway that led to Master Tenzin's chambers. Korra noticed that there were already several uniformed officers positioned outside. Her stomach lurched even though they weren't armed. Although the Jedi and Chief Beifong cooperated on a fairly regular basis, it was a rare occurrence indeed for a large contingent of her officers to be allowed into the sacred temple, one that testified to the seriousness of the situation.

When they got inside, the meeting was already in progress.  Master Tenzin stood in the middle of his austere meditation chamber, talking to Chief Beifong. Off to one side, Mako and Bolin were listening intently.

“Ah, good, you’re here.” Tenzin turned toward Korra, and though he was doing his best to smile, Korra couldn’t miss the worry lines across his forehead. She had known Tenzin most of her life, and though he usually seemed to be concerned about  _ something _ , she could tell he was more deeply rattled than he wanted to let on.

“Do you have any updates for us?” Lin folded her arms under her chest.  She seemed to be all business, unruffled by either the lateness of the hour or the ongoing crisis.

“I’ve sent messages to the other members of the Future Industries board,” Asami told her. “But it’s the middle of the night. They won’t be able to assemble and hear the evidence for removing my father as company president until tomorrow morning at the earliest. I know that may put us on slightly iffy legal ground...”

“I wouldn’t worry about that,” Lin said. “As of an hour ago, Hiroshi Sato has fled Coruscant, so he’s not in a position to object to our searches or his ouster for that matter.” 

“And even if he was still here, this is now a matter of Republic security,” Tenzin added. “The Senate gives the Jedi broad authority in cases like this. Both we and the police have people going through the company archives now for more evidence of what he and Kuvira are planning.”

Asami sighed deeply. “Well, I guess that’s something. But we still don’t know where they. At least from what I could tell, there wasn’t anything in the documents I retrieved from his terminal to tell us what his destination is.”

“That’s okay.” Bolin was practically bouncing up and down on the balls of his feet in his excitement. “Go on, Mako, tell them.”

Even the normally grim detective had a small smile as he said, “I put a tracker on his ship.”

Korra shook her head.  “But that doesn’t make any sense. Until tonight, we didn’t know Hiroshi was the mole.”

Lin simply nodded. “No, we didn’t. But we knew that it was one of the executives at Future Industries. I simply had Detective Mako place tracers on all of the ships that they used.”

“Was that legal?” Opal started to ask and then had another thought. “Broad authority, right?”

“Indeed,” Lin agreed. “And it’s fortunate that I did.  Mr. Sato’s ship is still in hyperspace, but once it arrives at its destination, we’ll have the coordinates almost immediately.”

“Once we do, we’ll have to act quickly. We have to assume that now that he’s been exposed, he’ll rendezvous with Kuvira and perhaps even this master of hers.” Tenzin turned to Korra. “You and Opal should go ahead to scout the situation. The council will be assembling a larger strike force but we have to know what we’re walking into before we can decide on the details.”

“I want Detective Mako to accompany Korra,” Lin said. “I don’t intend to have my people cut out of the investigation.”

“Don’t worry,” Korra told her. “We’ll all go together.” She would be glad to have Mako and Bolin for back-up, but more than that, she was thinking of Asami. Confronting her father might be difficult, but it was also something she knew the engineer needed.  _ And that matters to you, doesn’t it? Maybe more than it should _ . 


	14. Chapter 14

Korra's hands clenched into tense fists as she watched the stars go by the ship's front window. Lin's tracker had finally given them a location, and they were en route to the small planet it was broadcasting from. Korra was seated in the back of the ship with Bolin and Opal, while Mako had taken the copilot's seat upfront. Occasionally she heard him mumble something into his comm, updating Chief Beifong on their progress.

Her thoughts, however, weren't with him. They were with the woman seated in the pilot's chair.

Despite Tenzin and Chief Beifong's reservations, Asami had insisted on coming along to try and bring her father into custody. They had both expressed concerns about her safety and the need to have her running Future Industries, but Asami's eyes had blazed with determination fueled by duty. "He's my father," she had said, not raising her voice, but stating a fact. "He's my responsibility. Besides, I can help you. You won't find a better pilot anywhere, and you need me to figure out what he’s building. I’m the only person for this recon mission."

Unlike the others, Korra hadn't been surprised—not by Asami asking to come along, or by the fact that the usually unmovable Tenzin and Chief Beifong had eventually given in to her quiet, firm demand with nods of respect. She had known it would happen. Asami was stubborn, in her understated way.

What Korra couldn't have predicted was the sick, squirming feeling in her stomach. She couldn't have realized that she would picture Asami's face every few seconds even though she could barely glimpse the back of her friend's head from her seat. She couldn't have known that the idea of Asami getting hurt again would make her heart lurch crazily in her chest.

She closed her eyes and took deep breaths, trying to regain some balance.

In. Out. In. Out.

"Hey, Korra?"

Korra opened her eyes, looking left. Bolin was staring at her with wide, nervous green eyes.

"Is Asami doing all right? I haven't really gotten to talk to her and check in since... you know..."

Korra gave him a weak smile. Sometimes she forgot that Bolin had known Asami far longer than she had. She and Asami had only been acquaintances for a few weeks, but Bolin and Mako had been her friends for years.

"She's doing as well as she can under the circumstances," Korra murmured.

"Okay," Bolin said, but a note of uncertainty rang in his voice. Korra waited, knowing he wasn't finished. "It's just that when we lost our parents, Mako pretended everything was going to be okay, for my sake. But I knew it wasn't. I knew he wasn't, no matter what he said." He paused. "Asami's face looks familiar is all."

Korra sighed. "After this is over, she won't have to push it down. She can deal with it. She'll have you and Mako. And me."

That seemed to satisfy Bolin. He turned to Opal, who was seated on his other side and had been pretending not to listen, although it was obvious she had heard the whispered conversation.

"Hey, Opal, what do you call a bantha with no legs?"

"Please, not again," Opal said, although the corners of her lips twitched into a smile. She gave Korra a long-suffering look. "He's been trying his bad jokes on me all day."

Korra jumped on the distraction. Anything to take her mind off the confusing thoughts swirling through it. "Okay, what do you call a Bantha with no legs?"

"Ground beef!"

Opal let out a groan, but Korra could tell it was to conceal a snort of laughter. Mako glared at them from over his shoulder in disapproval while Asami let out a soft laugh from her position in the pilot's seat, and that was enough to make Korra's heart stop clenching for a moment.

"Tell us another one, Bolin."

"Okay. How do you unlock doors on Kashyyyk?"

To Korra's surprise, it was Asami who spoke up. "I don’t know. How do you unlock doors on Kashyyyk?"

"With a woo-key!"

Once more, Asami laughed.

"Why do Twi'leks like to flip coins?" Bolin asked.

"Hold on a second," Mako said, peering around his chair and holding up a hand for silence. Korra caught a glimpse of him listening to his comm. "Yes. Copy that." He lowered the comm again, speaking to everyone. "We're closing in on the signal from the tracker. Asami, are we cloaked?"

"We've been cloaked since we left hyperspace," Asami said. "Let's just hope my father hasn't updated Kuvira's scanners recently, or it won't matter."

"So they can say, 'Heads or tails'," Bolin muttered softly.

Silence lapsed over the group as they drew closer to their destination. Through the window at the front of the ship, the planet of Corbos grew ever larger. It had been a mining world once, before being abandoned due to some tragedy so long forgotten that even the archives of the Jedi Order offered few details as to its fate. There was a reference to an ancient battle, but beyond that, nothing specific, nothing to tell them why Kuvira was using it.

A minute went by, and then two, and then Bolin spoke again. “Well, we haven’t been shot down yet. That has to be a good sign, right?”

“I’d say so,” Opal agreed, and Korra noticed that she’d been edging closer to Bolin during the approach, their sides practically touching. It seemed Korra might not be the only one dealing with an unexpected attraction, and she wondered if she should say something to the padawan if she had the chance.

“Anything on the scanners?” she asked, trying to take her mind off such questions.

“Yes.” Mako nodded in the direction of his instrument panel. “There’s a serious energy signature coming from the same place as the tracking signal. I don’t know what it is, but it’s major”

“Presumably that’s what Kuvira and my father have been building,” Asami added. “I’ll look for a landing spot a little way away from the signal and we can go in and get a better look on foot. The cloaking device won’t do us much good if Kuvira’s men can just look up and see our ship.”

Korra nodded. “Sounds like a plan.”

“Over there should work.” Mako pointed out the window, and Korra leaned forward, getting a look at a small plateau located a relatively short distance away from the tracking signal, but shielded by some craggy rock faces.

“Well enough.” Asami began reducing their elevation before beginning their approach, letting them stay out of visual range of Kuvira’s base. Of course, that also meant that they couldn’t get a good look at what their enemies were up to from their ship, but that was the price they paid for not getting the ground batteries turned on them.

As soon as they set down on the rock formation, Korra sprang up out of her seat, her hand gripping her lightsaber firmly.  She was more comfortable now that they were on the ground and she was able to take charge of her own destiny. The prospect of a straight-up battle, even against Kuvira, was much less distressing than the possibility of being shot down while she sat helplessly in the back of a starship somebody else was flying.

Opal was next to set foot on the planet, followed quickly by Bolin and Asami, but when Mako emerged onto the ramp, Korra stopped him. “No, I need you to stay with the ship. If this mission goes bad, we may have to get out of here in a hurry.” Mako looked as if he was about to protest, so she added, “I’m sorry it has to be you, but I need Asami with me to figure out what Kuvira’s doing with Hiroshi’s tech, and no one else is trained to fly the ship in a combat situation. You’re our only backup pilot.”

It was clear from the fall in his face that the detective still didn’t like being left behind, but he accepted her logic.  “All right. Just… be careful, all of you. Kuvira may not know we’re here yet, but now that Hiroshi’s been exposed, she has to be expecting trouble.”

When he gave his warning, Mako’s gaze paused a little longer on his brother, as well as on Asami. Whatever had broken the two of them up, Korra could sense that he still cared for the engineer. For a moment, she wondered what would happen when and if he found out about the kiss she had shared with Asami.

_ Just try to get everyone out of this alive before you start worrying about that stuff _ , Korra chided herself.  _ Isn’t that what you and Asami agreed on? _

* * *

Asami tried to breathe quietly as she and the others picked their way over the rocky terrain. It wasn't easy going, but she supposed that was the point. Kuvira had obviously picked a location for her base that wasn't simple to get to by air or on foot. It was built into the side of a cliff, and the one visible entrance seemed heavily guarded, from what she could see through her macrobinoculars. Troopers in shiny black polymer armor stood with blasters held against their chests, watching and waiting.

The crags leading up to the main entrance were difficult to navigate, and once, she even found herself grasping toward Korra for extra support as she stumbled. Korra had given her a startled look as their hands touched, but hadn't jerked away. The two of them had continued on in silence until they arrived at a crevice some hundred meters ahead.

"What next?" Bolin asked, keeping his voice low for once.

Asami pulled out her comm. "Come in, Mako. I've got a clear view of the front entrance. Over."

A moment later, Mako's voice responded. "Copy that, Asami. How do you want to proceed?"

Her mind raced, sorting through possible options. "How would you like to take my baby for a spin?"

Mako seemed to understand what she was asking. "You want me to create a distraction."

"Seems pretty risky," Bolin whispered, sounding nervous. "The whole reason we didn't fly in is because we were afraid of getting shot down."

"We don't have much of a choice," Korra pointed out. "If we charge the main entrance and manage to kill the guards on duty, the base is still locked up. I mean, maybe Asami could override the door controls, but they’ll still be on high alert—"

"I was thinking the same thing," Asami said. "If they catch a glimpse of Mako flying past the base, more troops will come out and the doors will open up. All we have to do is get past them."

"It won't be easy." Opal peeked over the edge of the nearest rock, stealing a glance at the guards. "There's a lot of them. They outnumber us massively."

Korra gave her a gentle nudge. "Don't tell me you're  _ scared, _ Opal."

Opal's expression became indignant. "No way. It just sounds to me like you're scared, Miss Chosen One."

"I'll do it," Mako said from over the comm, stopping the argument before it could really pick up steam. "I'll do a flyby and drop the cloak long enough for them to see me. Then I'll put it back on before they catch up and wait for you to give me some rendezvous coordinates."

Asami bit her lip. Despite their failed relationship, Mako was one of her best friends, and she cared about him deeply. "If there was another way..."

"It's all right, Asami. I'll be fine."

"10-4. Let's break until you're in position."

"Roger."

The line went quiet. Suddenly, Asami was able to hear her own breathing. Her heart thudded heavily in her chest and her stomach started to flutter with nerves. There would be no going back after this. Once Mako gave the signal, they would make their move—and discover exactly what sort of awful tech her father had put in Kuvira's hands.

In the silence, she felt Korra reach out and touch her forearm. It was only a light brush, but Asami’s pulse slowed down for a moment instead of quickening. She took air into the very bottom of her lungs, and her chest no longer seemed so closed off. Korra's blue eyes were warm and reassuring.

_ She believes in me. That's why she's standing here with me. _

A moment later, the comm crackled to life again. "I'm in position. Dropping my cloak now."

Several more seconds stretched out before the sound of engines could be heard behind them. The ship rose until Asami could see it in the distance with her naked eye, but instead of flying to her position, it traced a longer arc that brought it near enough to Kuvira’s base to be detected, but not so close that the turrets mounted on the exterior could get a shot.

Soon enough it became clear that Mako had either been detected or seen, because a flurry of activity began to take place at the entrance to the base. Guards too far away to hear began speaking into comm units, and then the main door opened up, revealing still more armored troopers. A number of them were riding in a pair of speeders which took off in opposite directions while several more squads spread out across the rocky landscape.

“Nice work, bro,” Bolin whispered, gesturing at a group of seven troopers heading in their general direction. “Looks we’ve just got to deal with these guys and then whoever is left on the door. No problem for a pair of Jedi.”

Opal grinned. “Just you watch.”

She vaulted over the rock formation, scampering from one outcropping to the next as she closed the distance to the oncoming soldiers. She moved like a cat, lithe and quick, never exposed long enough to been seen, and as she closed, Korra gave Asami and Bolin a final nod. “Stay a little bit back. We’ll engage first, you cover us if they send in reinforcements from the base.”

Asami felt the urge to protest that she wasn’t going to be relegated to a support role, but she resisted. She’d already seen Korra in action against ordinary soldiers; with a second Jedi at her side, seven soldiers shouldn’t require any assistance.

Once she was maybe a dozen paces away from their enemies, Opal struck. Vaulting out from behind a jagged rock, she flew through the air and landed in the midst of the soldiers.  They looked around in confusion, far too slow to respond to her initial attacks. Opal’s lightsaber lashed out swift as a snake, two strikes cutting down the pair closest to her. The others whirled around as they prepared to fire, but that only made them vulnerable to Korra. The other Jedi was almost on them as well, and as she charged, she reached out with the Force, grabbing hold of one of the fallen troopers’ blasters and slamming it into the helmet of one of those still standing.

The two Jedi carved through the remaining soldiers faster than Asami’s eyes could easily follow, only the blue glow of Korra’s lightsaber and the green of Opal’s showing which of them was making each strike. Kuvira’s troopers did no better at tracking them than she did, and it was only a matter of seconds before all of them had been cut down, tossed aside by the Force, or otherwise disabled.

Beside her, Bolin whistled appreciatively. “Wow. They’re really something, aren’t they?”

Asami nodded. Korra’s power and grace had pulled her eye away from the gate she was supposed to be watching but fortunately, the skirmish was over so quickly that the rest of their enemies hadn’t seemed to notice yet. A moment later, Opal signalled down to their position.

“All clear.  Let’s go crash that door and see what Kuvira’s been up to.”

* * *

Their luck didn't hold all the way to the base's front entrance. Although Korra didn't run into any more soldiers, the door had shut by the time she and the others arrived. Taking out the two remaining guards was a simple affair; Korra managed to slice down the first before Opal could even reach her to offer back-up, and Bolin winged the other with his blaster, preventing him from reaching for his comm. Asami finished him with a headshot, wrapping everything up quickly and quietly.

Unfortunately, that left them staring at a sealed doorway.

"Looks reinforced," Korra said, frowning. "Even a lightsaber would take a long time to cut through it."

Asami stepped forward. "I'm on it, but it might take some time. Cover me." She hunched over an electric panel set into the wall a few feet away and went to work.

Korra resisted the temptation to watch Asami's flying hands. Instead, she kept a lookout for any returning soldiers. Strangely, none appeared. Either Mako was keeping them very occupied, or...

A sense of foreboding crept over her, a chill that settled deep into her bones and made her skin prickle. The Force usually came as a sense of warmth, of connection, a soft caress of sunlight, but not always. Sometimes, it delivered warnings—and this was definitely a warning.

She shuddered before squaring her shoulder and tightening her grip on her lightsaber. "Opal..."

Opal looked over at her in confusion. "What?"

Korra hesitated. She didn't doubt what she had felt, but if Opal didn't feel it too, perhaps the danger wasn't as great as she feared. "Nothing."

"I've got it," Asami said in an urgent whisper, interrupting Korra's thoughts. A moment later, the doors groaned and slid apart.

Bolin was first through. "Let's get inside. It's way too open out here."

Korra heard the note of nervousness in his voice and took the briefest of moments to nudge his shoulder. Jedi didn't often reassure each other in combat, but Bolin was no Jedi—he was a failed actor, and she had dragged him into water far too deep for him to touch the bottom. She made a mental note to keep an eye on him when the action started. He was a fair shot, but he didn't have real training, and she didn't want to see him hurt.

Opal was next inside. She looked around suspiciously, finally seeming to sense the same unease Korra had felt outside the door. She stared down the empty halls, dull silver with some exposed piping and grates, and her brow furrowed.

Asami was last through the door, and she said what all four of them were thinking.

"Where are all the soldiers?"

Korra shivered again as another wave of cold passed through her. Something was very wrong.

"I'm all for no soldiers," Bolin said.

"Unless they're waiting for us," Opal muttered. She started forward anyway, leading the group further into the base.

Korra followed. As unsettled as she felt, they couldn't just stand there. They had a mission to complete, and if Kuvira had set a trap for them, they  had no choice but to spring it.

While Opal and Bolin forged a quiet, careful path forward through the eerily abandoned hallways, Korra fell back to walk beside Asami. Though they didn't speak, their eyes shifted sideways to meet before parting again. Korra wasn't certain whether to feel reassured or sick to her stomach. Like Bolin, Asami was her responsibility, and after the kiss...

_ Don't think about that now. You can't afford distractions. Empty your mind of all other thoughts... _

But she couldn't. She had never been good at meditation during her training, and she was proving to be even worse at it now. Every sound seemed amplified—the hum of lighting and electricity, the sound of their footsteps, even her own thoughts.

"Okay, this is definitely weird," Opal said as they rounded a second corner without running into any resistance. "They can't all have gone after Mako..."

Asami made a shushing noise, gesturing at one of the walls. The series of doors that followed were helpfully labeled: "Area D: Experimental Design".

"They wouldn't put R&D so close to the front door, would they?" Bolin asked.

"Maybe the base is smaller than it looked from the outside," Korra said, though she didn't believe it. Something else was going on here.

Asami didn't respond. Instead, she headed for yet another flashing control panel. The words asking her to stop rose in Korra's throat, but she swallowed them down, fighting to ignore the sudden dryness in her mouth.

All too soon, the seals hissed and the door slid open. Before Bolin or Opal could take the lead, Korra stepped through first. Whatever was waiting on the other side was hers to face.

As soon as she was inside, Korra realized why the lab was so close to the entrance to the base: it was the base. A vast factory floor was spread out below her, its center dominated by  _ something  _ under construction there.  She had nothing like the expertise to tell what the monstrosity of dark metal and sparking wires might be, but it felt very wrong, an abomination strange and yet oddly familiar.

There was no space to tell why that might be though, because surrounding the machine were several units of guards lined up in formation and on the balcony that the doorway led onto stood Kuvira. Her red lightsaber flickered in her hand, casting her proud face in eerie colors.

"Korra. I was expecting you sooner."


	15. Chapter 15

“Sorry to disappoint you.” 

Korra’s voice dropped to a low growl even as her hand tightened around the hilt of her lightsaber. She did  _ not _ like the position they were in. Even if their group was able to retreat out of the lab before the small army on the ground below shot them down, the doors to the base had almost certainly been resealed behind them. As skilled as Asami was, Korra wasn’t sure the engineer could get them back open before they were run down by that same army.

“Don’t worry. The anticipation was worth savoring. You may have escaped me back on that asteroid, but now, we’re going to finish what we started, and this time, your friends won’t be here to save you.”

“But her friends are here,” Bolin blurted out.

“And so are mine.” Kuvira gestured to the rows of troops, their weapons pointed at the balcony on which all of them stood before turning her attention back to Korra. “If any of the rest of them are foolish enough to interfere with our duel, they have orders to kill your entire, rag-tag little band.”

A spike of fear shot through Korra before she could stifle it; not for herself, but for her friends, and most of all, for Asami. The image of the engineer’s body laying on the floor of the base, riddled with blaster burns leaped into Korra’s mind, making her stomach clench. “No,” she protested. “They’ll stay out of this. This is our fight.”

“Indeed it is.”  Kuvira made a flourish with her lightsaber and Korra tried her best to summon her courage.

“The way I remember it,  _ I  _ almost had  _ you _ before I hesitated. This time, you won’t be so lucky.”

Kuvira’s smirk only broadened. “Then why do I sense so much fear in you? Don’t worry, Korra. It doesn’t have to end for you here. Give yourself to the Dark Side. Help me bring order to the galaxy. Do it and I’ll spare your friends.”

Before Kuvira realized that she wasn’t going to reply with words, Korra was already attacking. Her lightsaber blazed in her hand as she leapt forward, slashing at the fallen Jedi’s head. The element of surprise was enough to put Kuvira on the back foot. Though she blocked both the initial strike and Korra’s follow-ups, she was driven toward the edge of the railing overlooking the lab floor, straining to keep up with the speed of the blows.

But that was as far as she retreated. When Korra raised her saber and attempted to bring it on her head, Kuvira swung her own blade upward, and the two slammed together. Korra strained to push Kuvira’s lightsaber down, but her enemy was too strong, keeping their blades locked as she spoke.

“Not good enough,” Kuvira snarled. “You never have been.” She surged forward off of the railing and Korra found herself pushed backward, dropping into a defensive stance a few paces away from Kuvira. “You’re supposed to be the Chosen One. The one everything was just handed to, and you still can’t hack it.”

“We’ll see.” Behind her, Korra could see the rest of the team watching uneasily. Bolin, utterly fascinated by their struggle. Opal, wishing that she could join in and test herself against the woman who had been almost a member of her family. And Asami… Korra could sense the engineer’s fear, a mirror of her own. It wasn’t for herself, but for Korra, her heart skipping and twisting with every move of this dance of blades. She had to win, if not for her own sake than for Asami’s.

Kuvira came at her then, but Korra was ready. She blocked a cut at her midsection and before Kuvira could follow up, she thrust out using the Force. Kuvira tried to counter with her own strength, but she was too slow and Korra’s push twisted off of her feet and sent her skidding across the balcony before she was able roll back to her feet.

This time, Korra didn't hesitate. She leapt, seizing the opportunity as she thrust her saber downward. Her aim was true. She managed to spear a sizzling wound into Kuvira's shoulder, causing her face to twist in pain. A scream rose up to the ceiling and the smell of burnt flesh bit at Korra's nose. She withdrew, panting, expecting the fight to be over.

Only it wasn't.

Kuvira's face stopped contorting, leaving only a gleaming, angry look of pure hatred. To Korra's shock, she started laughing as she picked herself back up to her feet. "Pain only makes you stronger, Korra," Kuvira said as she brandished her lightsaber again. Even injured, the hole in her shoulder still smoking, her grip was firm and her feet were planted steady. "It's time to teach you that lesson  _ personally _ ."

When Kuvira launched herself forward again, it was in a blur so fast that Korra could barely keep up. They traded blows, but with each one, Korra faltered a little more. Suddenly, the tides of battle had changed. Each strike sent jolts down her arms, forcing her to back away in a desperate scramble.

"Korra!"

At the sound of her name, Korra spared a split-second glance toward her friends. It was Opal who had shouted, and her lightsaber was already in her grip, but it was the look on Asami's face that gutted Korra once more.

"The Jedi were right about one thing," Kuvira said. "Your attachments  _ do  _ make you weak."

Korra tried to respond with a swing of her blade, but once more, she wasn't fast enough. Kuvira went lower than expected and scored a hit on her side.

The wound was shallow, but still deep enough for Korra to hiss in pain as the blistering heat ate at her skin. She pushed through and recovered swiftly, repeating Tenzin's words in her head.  _ 'Think of nothing, think of nothing, think of nothing...' _ But she couldn't think of nothing. She thought of her hatred for Kuvira, of her worry for Asami and all her friends, of her pain. And when she countered Kuvira's next blow, she pushed back against it with all her might.

This time, she was strong enough. She drove their clashing blades backward into Kuvira's chest, following up with another thrust of the Force that sent her enemy flying. What happened next had Korra's heart skipping beats. Kuvira struggled to regain her footing, and for a moment, it looked like she might succeed. But then, she misjudged, stepping a little too far back. She tipped dangerously, arms swinging in a fruitless effort to find her balance, but it wasn't enough—she fell over the edge of the balcony, her cape fluttering behind her.

Korra reached out on instinct. She couldn't help it. Despite everything, Kuvira had been her friend once. She hadn't meant to push her so far, even to win. But before she could scream, or try and use the Force to catch her, Kuvira had hit the ground. She curled in on herself, looking broken, and Korra couldn't tell whether it was a voluntary motion or not.

She didn't have time to wonder about Kuvira's fate. She didn't even have time to be relieved that she had 'won'. Before she could come down from her adrenaline high, low, crackling laughter boomed from somewhere else in the room. It sent a shudder of pure fear down Korra's spine, and the Force—as well as the very air she sucked into her lungs—turned cold around her.

From a smaller balcony to the right of the lab and a dozen feet above her stood a figure clad in a simple black robe, its hood covering their face in shadows. All around them was the Dark Side, but it wasn’t a power that radiated so much as a negative, a void in the Force that seemed to suck in all of the light surrounding them.

_ This must be Kuvira’s master _ , Korra thought as she tried to gain control of her racing heart.  _ But what is it? I’ve never felt anything like this _ .

At a small flick of its black gloved hand, two of the soldiers on the ground took hold of Kuvira, carrying the wounded Jedi away, but Korra barely watched, unable to take her eyes off of the figure. It seemed the interest was mutual. The Sith Lord launched itself toward her, not so much jumping as slicing through the air and landing on the other side of the balcony.

“Chosen One.” It sounded like the voice was echoing from a tomb, infinitely cold, but mocking at the same time. “Once more, we meet. It has been so long”

“Once more?” Korra stammered, feeling like an idiot child groping around in utter darkness. “I don’t know you.”

“No. I suppose you would not. But I know you.”

The figure reached up, sliding its hood back. What lay beneath it was nothing Korra could have been prepared for. The face that stared at her might have been human once, but now it was… something else. The face of a mummified corpse, rotting skin stretched tight over ancient bone, hollow eye sockets filled only by the burning light of hatred and the fire of the Dark Side.

She could scarcely meet its gaze as she asked, “What are you?”

“Once, when the Order was young, I was a Jedi, like you. I perceived its rottenness even in those day, its weakness, its fear to do what was necessary. I sought to challenge the Jedi’s limited view of the Force, to teach them the true nature of power. And for that, I was rejected. Cast out. And then murdered. By you.”

Half-forgotten tales told to Korra during her training, mixed in with scraps of dreams she hadn’t understood, surged to the front of Korra’s mind. How once, ages ago, the first Chosen One, Master Wan, had led the Jedi forces that defeated the schismatics who would eventually become the Sith. How her predecessor had slain their leader in single combat. It didn’t seem possible and yet there was the name that sprang to her lips.

“Darth Vaatu?”

A horrible imitation of a smile spread across the creature’s ruined face. “I am older than that appellation, but yes. I am glad you remember. It will make what comes next all the more satisfying.”

“But I… Wan... he killed you.”

“What is it you Jedi say?  There is no death, there is the Force. Hate bound my spirit to my body, and the Dark Side allowed me to reclaim it.  It has taken me ages, but I have regained all the strength you stole from me and more. Now, my hour has come. You and the rest of your pitiful Order will pay the price for your lack of vision.”

“No!”

Surprisingly, the righteous, angry cry came not from her but from Opal. She leapt forward, her lightsaber blazing in her hand, but as fast as she moved, it wasn’t nearly quick enough. She was no more than halfway to her target when Vaatu lifted his hand, and lightning a blue so deep as to be almost black was unleashed.

Opal raised her blade, but against such power, her block scarcely made a difference. The dark energy flowed around her lightsaber and struck her body at a dozen points. She screamed in agony as she crumpled to the balcony floor, her lightsaber tumbling from her grasp.

Korra hurried to Opal's side. The padawan was still breathing, but she had been knocked unconscious and seemed badly injured. Her robes still smoked lightly around the fringes and her eyes were closed.

But Korra had no time to look after her, or even to be afraid. Her friends—Opal, injured on the ground; Bolin, holding his blaster in a shaking hand despite his fear; Asami... just Asami. The need to keep them safe lit a flame in her heart, and she surged forward, lightsaber in hand.

Vaatu's red blade flared to life just in time to intercept hers. Their sabers screeched as they met, clashing over and over, but Korra found her strikes were deflected as swiftly as she made them. Fighting Kuvira had been a challenge, but this... it seemed as if Vaatu was toying with her. As if it—he—whatever... could predict her every strike.

Vaatu laughed at her frustration, swiping aside her sword as easily as a master training a youngling.

"Yes," he chuckled, his voice bellowing loud and low. "I feel your anger, Chosen One. Give in to it. Let it feed you. Let it lend you strength. Only then will you tap into true power."

Korra snarled, launching herself at Vaatu again, too far gone to remember Tenzin's meditation techniques. She was panting, desperate, with beads of sweat sprouting across her forehead. Her skin burned hot from exertion and the sizzle of their weapons even as her bones ached with cold. The very air around Vaatu seemed to burn and freeze at the same time.

When Korra tried a different tactic, thrusting out her palm in an effort to trip the Sith with the Force, she found herself flying back instead. Vaatu swatted her aside like a gnat, and she grunted as her shoulder collided with the floor. She scrambled to her feet, all too aware that he could have thrown her over the balcony like Kuvira. But why hadn't he?

"Why are you doing this?" she shouted. "If you're going to fight me, then fight!"

"This is no battle," Vaatu said. "This is a lesson. One my student failed to teach you. I see the power in you, Chosen One. I feel your rage. You could wield such greatness that—"

Korra didn't let him finish his monologue. She flew toward him again, her blade a spinning circle.

And once more, Vaatu sent her flying back, this time with a gash on her side. It burned bitterly and she cried out in pain, struggling to keep her guard up. Still, the Sith did not capitalize on her failure. He seemed to be waiting for something—for her to give in. Korra had no doubt that if he'd wanted, he could have snuffed her out like a candle flame. She felt his power pressing in on her from all sides, an enormous wave of the Force as strong as an ocean current and as tall as a mountain. 

It was all she could do to keep her head above water. Again, she attacked, and again, he drove her back in a matter of seconds. Their blades spat and she ended up on one knee, panting against the stabbing pain in her lungs. She couldn't breathe. Her head was enveloped by a red mist of anger and hate, and worst of all, it was  _ tempting _ her. She wanted to give in to it, to use it against him.

"Korra!"

She whipped around at the sound of her name. Asami and Bolin had rushed to join her despite the danger, blasters in hand. Bolin was hauling Opal's unconscious body toward the door, and Asami stopped at Korra's side, grasping her arm to pull her back. "Korra, we have to get out of here."

"No," Korra said, yanking her arm away. "This ends now. Don't get involved."

Asami started to mouth an objection, but Korra couldn’t hear her.  The blood was pounding in her head and Force was wrapped around her like a shroud, shielding her from all pain and hesitation. All that mattered was winning this battle.

With a snarl, she launched herself through the air at Vaatu, her lightsaber pointed like a spear, and for a moment, it seemed to work. Though the creature’s face was unreadable, he seemed surprised by the ferocity of her attack. His first parry was barely fast enough to meet her strike, and she slammed his blade down before he could make a second one. Hers flicked up, burning into his side with a sizzle. She had him.

And then he laughed. “How can that kill me? It is the Force that gives me life, not this rotting flesh.”  His blade flicked back up, and Korra was only barely able to keep him from cleaving off her arm. “You  _ are _ making progress. Using your anger. But it will not be enough to defeat me.”

All at once, Korra felt hope leave her. She didn’t even know what this creature was, let alone how to stop it. She fell back before his assault as if in a trance, parrying the strikes mechanically, but she had no chance.  After three steps, Vaatu’s blade knocked hers from her hand and it clattered down, as useless as she was. She tried to dive away from the next attack, but not fast enough. Vaatu’s blade bit into her thigh and Korra’s body gave way, leaving her sprawled on the deck. Her vision swam from the pain while above her, Vaatu loomed, inescapable and invincible.

“Yield,” he rasped. “Do not die for nothing. Join me and I will teach you the true power of the Force.”

The power of his aura tore at Korra’s soul, but some last spark of defiance still flared within her. “No. I won’t.”

“Very well. I had hoped to be your teacher, but I suppose that being your killer shall have to suffice.”

Vaatu raised his lightsaber and then everything around Korra went white. But only for an instant. Instead of becoming one with the Force, she had to blink back the overwhelming light that shone in her eyes even as a sudden numbness gripped her body.

From somewhere behind her, a strong hand clapped her shoulder, yanking her to her feet. Asami was mouthing words Korra couldn’t hear, but their message was clear enough. They had to go  _ now _ , and this time, Korra knew better than to object. Her limbs were leaden, barely responding to her commands, but Asami was there to support her. The two of them staggered back through the doors to the lab even as Bolin carried Opal through as well.

Korra heard Vaatu’s horrid voice screaming in frustration and felt his power gathering to crush them, but he didn’t get the chance. Asami’s hand slammed against the control panel and the door hissed shut behind them just as a Force wave crashed into it. The metal dented but it didn’t collapse yet, giving Asami time to send a massive electrical change into the door’s mechanism, sealing it behind them. 

“How?” Korra mumbled as they stumbled back out the way they came, unable to believe she was still alive.

Her ears were still ringing, but she was able to make out most of Asami’s response. “A very powerful stun grenade. But I only had one, and I doubt that door will hold this Vaatu for long. We have to hurry.”

Despite the urgency of the situation, it took Korra several seconds to respond. She could feel Vaatu's presence, not just howling on the other side of the door, but smoldering within her, raking lines of fear and doubt through her very soul. There would be no defeating him. He wasn't even human, not even alive. Yet he was alive enough to fight, and kill. She had only survived because he had allowed it.

Asami's tugging didn't snap her out of her dark cloud, but it did get her feet moving. She started running down the hallway with the others, moving on autopilot.

"Mako, come in," Asami said into her comm. Even though they were running abreast, to Korra, her voice sounded muffled and distant. "Mako, can you meet us for a pickup?"

Silence, and then a crackling, "Roger. Is everyone okay?"

"We're alive," Bolin shouted. He was panting heavily thanks to Opal's extra weight, but he didn't lag either.

A loud screech echoed behind them, doubtless the sound of the door crumpling to pieces. "... But maybe not for long!"

Mako's voice became urgent. "Asami? What's going on?"

She didn't answer him—or if she did, Korra didn't notice. She turned to look over her shoulder, which proved to be a mistake.

Vaatu appeared, not physically in front of her, but in her mind's eye. His rattling whisper of a voice somehow sounded closer than Asami's.

"There is no use running, Chosen One. I will find you. And unless you submit yourself to me, I will destroy all of you."

Korra came to an abrupt halt, but it didn't matter; she was in front of the main entrance already. Asami's fingers let go of hers to fumble with the control panel, and Korra realized she hadn't noticed that they’d been holding hands. She hadn't noticed the steaming wounds on her body either, and even when she concentrated, she could only feel the barest twinge.

The block of ice in her chest was far more painful.

The doors opened just as the sound of booted footsteps grew behind them. Vaatu’s troopers were hot on their heels, but amidst the glare of the planet's midday sunlight, Korra could see the reflection of Asami's ship coming in low and fast, weaving around the fire of the base’s turrets. Mako had arrived right on time.

"Come on," Asami said, giving her arm another pull.

Somehow, Korra managed to haul her sluggish body out of the door. Asami’s ship hovered a few feet off the ground, now too close to be hit by the turrets, the engines still running. The side lifted up, revealing Mako's worried face. "Asami, what happened?"

"Tell you later."

They ran the rest of the way to the ship, reaching it just as Korra saw the first of Vaatu’s soldiers emerging from their base. Asami yanked her up the ramp before they could fire, darting into the pilot’s seat once they were inside. "Strap in. We have to get out of here,  _ now. _ "

Even as doors closed behind them, Korra kept looking for a sign of Vaatu, but he didn't appear. Only his presence remained— more frightening than the turrets that opened fire once more as they began to move away from the base. The ship shook as a blast impacted against their shields, but Korra scarcely felt it, staring out the window blankly.

"Korra?"

She realized dimly that it was Mako speaking to her, clearly concerned. She blinked, trying to remove the image of rotting flesh superimposed over his face.

She saw it when she closed her eyes, too.

"What's going on?"

When she didn't answer, Bolin looked up from where he was tending to Opal. She seemed to be stirring, but Korra didn't feel any relief. The gnawing terror in her stomach wouldn't go away and her heart was pounding at light speed.

"We met Kuvira's master," Bolin said.

At last, Korra spoke. "He's not just Kuvira's master," she murmured. "He's a monster."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> At last, Kuvira's master is revealed. (The idea to have that be Vaatu comes in part from Darth Sion in KOTOR II in case you're curious) Was it what you predicted? Let us know what you think.


	16. Chapter 16

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We are back from our BoM-related hiatus, with our batteries recharged. Strap in, because we've got lots of good stuff planned for you on this one.

Korra had said little during the flight back from Corbos, and less still as she was carried to the Jedi Temple’s infirmary in a medical capture. The painkillers she’d been given on the ship for her wounds had something to do with her silence, but even if her head hadn’t been clouded by them, Korra wouldn’t have known what to say.

_ I failed. Failed the Jedi, Tenzin, myself… I’m supposed to be the Chosen One, and Vaatu crushed me like I was a Youngling holding a lightsaber for the first time. _

Opal, who had woken up some time during the return flight, guided her capture through the corridors of the Jedi temple. In spite of her earlier injuries, the padawan was in considerably better shape than Korra herself. Korra had been on the receiving end of Force lightning during her battle with Unalaq, and while it packed a nasty punch, its effects weren’t as long lasting a lightsaber wound.

But though Opal wasn’t too badly hurt, she wasn’t saying much either, nor had anyone else on the flight, perhaps having caught Korra’s silence. They had, however, sent plenty of concerned looks her way, looks that only made Korra feel worse when she could even bear to meet them. She had failed her team too. If not for Asami’s stun grenade and a lot of running, they would all be dead or worse. 

_ Asami… _ More than anyone, the engineer’s presence had made Korra uneasy. The whole way back, she had kept trying to tend to Korra’s injuries or offer reassurances. Korra had so badly wanted to accept the offers. Her heart skipped a beat every time Asami came close, and yet every time she would shy away. Whatever she wanted, her feelings for Asami were a source of weakness, one that the Sith had ruthlessly exploited.

When they reached the infirmary, Master Tenzin was there waiting. It didn’t take the Force for Korra to sense his concern, but she didn’t know if she had the strength to answer his questions. Fortunately, she didn’t have to. Before Tenzin could say anything, Opal launched into an explanation of their mission, leaving Korra in peace to pull herself out of the medical capture and into a bed.

It was there that Master Katara found her. “Oh my,” she said as her experienced eye took in Korra’s wounds. She peeled back the tattered remains of the robes that covered them and undid the makeshift dressings. “Do you have any other injuries I should know about?”

Korra winced as the burnt flesh of her thigh and side were exposed to the air. “I think I cracked a couple of ribs. Force push.”

With a nod, Katara set to work, applying bacta patches to Korra’s wounds before dressing them properly. All throughout the process, Korra felt uneasy. She had always liked the old master, but now, her presence was another reminder of Korra’s weakness. After all, Katara had fought alongside the previous Chosen One, Master Aang. What must she think of Korra’s failure to live up to his legacy?

Her discomfort seemed to be evident. “What’s wrong?” Katara asked as she sealed the second bacta patch into place.

“What do you think is wrong?” The words were harsher than Korra had wanted them to be. This was her fault, not Katara’s, but she couldn’t seem to stop the anger that came pouring out.  “How do you think I got hurt? I got beat. Badly.”

If Katara was upset by her outburst, she didn't show it. "One lost battle does not define you, Korra. You will heal and fight again."

_ It doesn't feel that way. _ Korra only managed to stop from giving voice to her despair by biting her lip. Her eyes stung with unshed tears and the tension in her body felt like it was about to snap. When she closed her eyes, she remembered the heat of battle, the sharp stab of fear as whatever Vaatu was loomed over her, the feeling of utter helplessness—

"I can't!" she shouted, loud enough to startle even herself. She flinched, then stared at the bed, unable to look at Katara's face. "I can't," she whispered, far more softly. "Vaatu was too strong. He beat me like it was nothing." Her tears leaked free, and she swiped her hand across her eyes, sniffling angrily in a futile effort to hold them back. "Someone else will have to fight him, because I...I don't stand a chance."

A soft hand pressed onto Korra's shoulder. "Yet," Katara said. "You don't stand a chance yet. But the Force always finds a balance. The stronger Vaatu is, the stronger you will become in order to face him again."

Korra's heart lurched in her chest. She didn't even want to think about facing Vaatu a second time. He had almost killed her, almost killed Asami. He had pinpointed every one of her weaknesses effortlessly and used them to hurt her as no opponent ever had.

"This wasn't like fighting Unalaq, Master Katara," she said in a shaking voice. "That was difficult, but I knew what I had to do. Vaatu is... he's something else. He's not even human. Just being near him terrifies me. How am I supposed to win against that?"

"I might know someone who can help."

Korra rubbed her eyes again and looked up at Katara, blinking in confusion. "Who?"

"Aang, the previous chosen one, also fought against dark side Force constructs."

"But he's gone," Korra whispered, utterly discouraged. "He can't fight Vaatu for me. He can't even advise me. I've never been able to hear the voices of the past Chosen Ones, no matter how often I practice Tenzin's meditation techniques."

Katara merely smiled. "While I do think you will be able to communicate with your predecessors in time, I had someone else in mind. Someone alive. I wasn't there when Master Aang fought those constructs, but I wasn’t the only one who traveled with him..."

Korra's brow furrowed. "But Masters Sokka and Zuko are gone, and Master Toph hasn't been heard from in years? She's probably dead too..."

She shared a glance with Katara, whose smile only grew.

"Wait. She's alive? And you know where she is?" A small spark of hope lit in Korra's chest, and she leaned forward urgently, careless of her healing wounds. "Where is she, Master Katara? If she knows anything about Force constructs, maybe she can defeat Vaatu?"

"I suspect I know exactly what Toph will say to that," Katara chuckled, "but you're welcome to ask her. She's residing in a swamp in the Dagobah system." She closed her eyes, seeming to drift back to an earlier time. "She always did enjoy getting dirty."

"And you've known where she is all this time?" Korra asked, shaking her head in disbelief. As one of Aang's most trusted companions, Toph was practically a legend herself. Not only had she helped Aang defeat Darth Ignus, but after leaving the Jedi Order, she had completely restructured Coruscant's police force and turned it into the strong organization it currently was. Crime on the entire planet had taken a huge dive once Police Chief Toph cracked down.

Katara gave her a smile, one that reached to the corners of her wrinkled face. “I know that Toph has a reputation for being difficult, but that’s doesn’t mean she doesn’t care. Before she left for her retirement on Dagobah, she gave me her location in case ‘those idiots on the Council screw it all up again and you need my help.’”

“Well, we definitely need it now.”  _ And I need it more than anybody. _

“What do we need?” Evidently, Opal had finished reporting in to her teacher, because she was now walking over to join the conversation, with Chief Beifong and Master Tenzin right behind her.

“Master Toph’s help. Master Katara knows where she is, and I’m going to go see if she’ll come back to fight Vaatu.”

“Absolutely not!” 

Korra shot up in bed at the sharpness of Lin’s words, suppressing a wince as her wounds protested the movement. The chief’s arm were crossed over her chest and a scowl far beyond her usual expression of disapproval was etched on her face.

“What do you mean, ‘no,’ Aunt Lin?” Opal asked. “If she can help us...”

“I mean that it’s a terrible idea,” Lin snapped, “Because she’s not going to be any help. You’ve never actually met your grandmother, Opal, but she’s obstinate, and difficult, and utterly unwilling to see anyone’s point of view but her own…”

“Unlike everyone else in her family,” Tenzin interjected with the rare hint of a smile. “I know you and your mother have had your problems, Lin, but we have to put aside our personal feelings right now for the good of the galaxy.”

Lin’s response to that suggestion was an indignant _hurmph._ “The good of the galaxy, Tenzin? What makes you think that my mother cares about that? She abandoned the galaxy, to say nothing of her family, to go and live…. Where did I hear you say she was, Master Katara? A swamp?”

Tenzin raised his hands in a conciliatory gesture. “I know that she did. But just because Toph left years ago doesn’t mean we shouldn’t see if she’s willing to come back. When I was his padawan, Master Aang always spoke very highly of her fighting skills.”

“And Katara said Toph has experience dealing with dark side Force constructs,” Korra added with more energy than she had mustered previously. This, at least, was a plan, which was more than she’d had a minute earlier. “We  _ really _ need that knowledge right now. When I was fighting Vaatu, I didn’t even know where to start. I stabbed him in the side and it didn’t make a bit of difference.”

The sigh that Lin let out was so heavy it to cause her entire body to slump. “I suppose if you feel you must go chasing after my mother, Korra, then I can’t stop you. But I still think it’s a waste of valuable time.”

“Hey, why should Korra be the one to go?” Opal protested. “Toph’s  _ my _ grandmother.”

“But Korra’s the Chosen One,” Tenzin explained. “Toph was very close to Master Aang, so she might be especially motivated to help his successor.”

Opal's expression remained deeply unsatisfied, but she seemed to know that she wouldn't win the argument. "And what are we going to do when Korra leaves, Master Tenzin? Vaatu and Kuvira are still a threat to the Republic. And that isn't even taking Asami's father into account. Whatever he's building for them is—"

"We aren't going to sit on our asses and twiddle our thumbs in the hopes that  _ she _ will come help us," Lin said, forestalling any further complaints. "Tenzin, can we expect the Jedi to participate in a direct assault on the Corbos base?"

"We’ll send everyone we can spare," Tenzin said. "I have to speak with the rest of the Council but I’m sure they’ll agree that this is a matter of great urgency. Destroying the base quickly and decisively is our best option."

"You still don't understand," Korra protested, growing angry once more. "Vaatu isn't human. Your assault won't touch him.  _ I  _ couldn't even touch him!"

"This isn't only about destroying Vaatu, Korra," Lin said. Her voice was serious, although not entirely unsympathetic. "Whatever weapon they're building needs to be dealt with."

Tenzin nodded his agreement. "Hopefully Miss Sato can tell us more about what it is."

At the mention of Asami's name, Korra flinched. Her stomach gave a sickening lurch as she realized that she was going to have to say goodbye. There was no reason for Asami to come to Dagobah with her...  _ Why was I even considering it? They need her more than I do... and she certainly doesn't need me. Not with how useless I've been. _

"You can have the rest of this conversation outside my medical bay," Katara said, capturing everyone's attention. "Korra is going to need lots of rest before she leaves in the morning for Dagobah."

Tenzin had the decency to look embarrassed. "Of course, Master Katara. Chief Beifong, Opal? Let's leave Korra for now." Before he left, however, he stopped by Korra's bed, placing a warm hand on her shoulder. "I know you're discouraged, but I have every faith in you—and not only because you are the Chosen One."

The simple words of encouragement had Korra's eyes stinging again, but she managed a small smile. Her old teacher didn't offer compliments often, and she could tell he was being sincere. Knowing that he believed in her, even though she didn't believe in herself, made her feel a little stronger. "Thank you, Master Tenzin."

"Tenzin's right," Lin added, with less gruffness in her voice than usual. "If anyone can hunt down my mother and get something useful out of her, it's you. Good luck, Korra. I still think you're crazy for doing this..."

"I know, Chief Beifong. Thank you."

Opal said her goodbye last, and it was the hardest of all. She leaned down for a hug, which Korra did her best to return despite her injuries. "You can do this, Korra. I know you can. And I'll make sure Asami, Mako, and Bolin say goodbye in the morning before you go, okay?"

Korra wanted to protest—the thought of seeing the three of them, Asami especially, made her shoulders sink with shame—but she couldn't find a reason to say no either. Instead, she just nodded as Opal let her go.

When she left alongside Tenzin and Lin, Korra let out a deep sigh. Despite their reassurances, being around them had exhausted her. "I don't know if I'll actually be able to sleep, Master Katara," she sighed once they were out of earshot. "My mind won't slow down."

"Give it time," Katara said as she gathered what remained of her supplies. "But if you’ll take a bit of advice, you should say goodbye to your friends. We all need to remember what we're fighting for, especially when we feel at our lowest."

With that, she drew the curtains around Korra's bed, sealing her in a dim, private cocoon. Korra sighed, lying back on the bed without closing her eyes. She didn't want to think about what she would see when she closed them. Vaatu, Kuvira... even Asami's disappointed face.

It was going to be a long night.

***

Even though Asami had arrived there early in the morning, the Jedi Temple was already abuzz with activity, even more than the previous time she had visited it. Everywhere she went, Jedi from masters to padawans were scurrying around. Some seemed to be going about their everyday tasks, but most moved with more urgent purpose, carrying supplies and having hurried conversations in the corridors.

_ No doubt they’re getting ready for the attack on Vaatu’s base _ .

By contrast, the medical bay was fairly empty, and Asami had little trouble finding Korra inside. The Jedi was laying in bed, awake but not exactly at her best. Her hospital gown was askew, her hair was disheveled, and there were dark circles under her eyes, suggesting that she hadn’t slept any better than Asami herself. 

Still, when she noticed Asami walking toward her bed, Korra sat up and offered her best attempt at a smile.  _ And it’s such a pretty one. _ Even in Korra’s present state, there was something incredibly charming about the Jedi, making Asami smile back in spite of her fatigue. “Good morning, Korra. How’re you doing?”

Korra sounded as tired as she looked. “Well, Master Katara says my wounds are healing pretty well, so I guess it could be worse.”

Asami walked closer to the bed. Some part of her wanted the increased proximity, even if she wasn’t sure it was a good idea considering everything that had happened between them recently. “I’m glad to hear that. And I’m sorry for coming here so early, but Opal told me about your mission to go find Master Toph. I didn’t want to miss you.”

“Don’t worry about it; I wasn’t getting much sleep anyway.” 

“I can imagine. Hospitals are always too busy to be very restful.” 

Asami suspected that wasn’t the only reason Korra might not have slept well.  The whole way back from Corbos, the Jedi had been withdrawn and distant. It wasn’t surprising after the way Vaatu had beaten her, but Asami didn’t want to push Korra. Hopefully, she would talk about what had happened when she was ready.

That time didn’t seem to be now. “Anyway,” Korra said quickly, “I’m glad you came. I know ditched I you and Mako and Bolin as soon as we got back to Coruscant.”

“Don’t worry about it.” Asami put a hand on Korra’s shoulder. “You needed medical attention. I’m just glad you’re all right.”

Korra looked away, a lump forming in her throat. “I will be. At least if I can get Master Toph to come back and help us.”

“I’m sure you will.” Asami broadened her smile, trying her best to seem reassuring, but she wasn’t sure if it had worked; Korra’s downcast expression didn’t change at any rate.

“And what about you? Are you going to join the big assault on Vaatu’s base Master Tenzin and the Council are planning?”

Asami shook her head. “I was going on to, but Chief Beifong didn’t want me along. She thought it was more important that I stay here and get a handle on what’s going on with Future Industries. Even though my father fled, he may still have collaborators that have to be rooted out. She’s probably right, but it’s difficult to stay behind.”

That was only half true; while Asami wanted to see this mission through to the end, some part of her was happy enough to have the Republic strike force leave without her.  _ I want to be there to capture my father, but at least if they succeed, I won’t have to face Vaatu again. _ She could still feel the icy dread the creature’s presence had inspired in her very bones, chilling her in spite of the warmth of the medical bay.

Korra seemed to pick up on those feelings. She shuddered as if that same chill had passed over her, bringing her arms in close to her sides. "I feel better knowing you're staying behind," Korra murmured. "I know you can take care of yourself. I mean, you're... you're the only reason I'm still alive. But..."

Something shone in Korra's eyes, a different kind of fear, less cold and more desperate. Asami felt it too, the frightening tug of something important slipping from her grasp. She remembered their kiss, seeming so long ago, and her heart began to pound faster.

_ This isn't the right time, _ she thought.  _ Korra is clearly discouraged. She doesn't need distractions. _

_ But if not now, when? _ another voice demanded.  _ She might not come back... _

Asami could see her chance growing smaller and smaller, and even though she knew it was wrong, she surrendered to a selfish impulse. She leaned forward, cupping Korra's cheek. "Come back," she whispered, gazing into the Jedi’s glistening blue eyes. "Please. We need you. I need you."

Korra blinked rapidly, as if to dismiss tears. She didn't answer. Instead, she pulled her lower lip between her teeth.

"I feel like I'm abandoning you. No—I don't just feel like it. I am. Just like your father. And I don’t want to. But this... us... I can't figure it out right now. Not while Vaatu is out there."

Stinging tears rose in Asami's own eyes. She tried her best to hold them back, but they rolled down her cheeks anyway, smearing her mascara. The fact that Korra had said 'us' gave her hope even while things were falling apart. "I know I'm wrong for wanting you to stay..."

"No," Korra said with more conviction than she had shown so far that morning. "You aren't wrong. I want to stay. I want to..." She took a deep breath. Then, to Asami's complete surprise, Korra leaned up and her lips brushed Asami’s.

It was a soft kiss. A sad kiss. A kiss that felt like a reluctant goodbye. But Asami couldn't for the life of her tell whether it was a forever-goodbye, or only a temporary one. She knew it was a mistake as soon as they parted, but she smiled anyway. She couldn't help it.

"All I'm asking," she said, "is for you to come back. Nothing else. You don't have to defeat Vaatu all by yourself. You don't have to... the two of us... just—just come back. That's all I need."

Korra took a deep breath. "Okay."

Strangely, that one word did more to put Asami at peace than their kiss. It was a promise. She could tell from the tone of Korra's voice.

"Okay."

Korra pulled away, sniffing and wiping her face with her sleeve. "Asami," she said, with a tight, sad laugh, "your makeup..."

Asami laughed as well, around the burning lump lodged in her throat. Apparently, she'd been right about her mascara. "I'll deal with it later."

She bent down, wrapping Korra in her arms and hugging her tight. "I'll see you soon."

"Yeah," Korra whispered beside her ear. "I'll see you soon."


	17. Chapter 17

“Man, this planet is a total dump.”

Though there was no one around to hear her complaint, Korra still felt as if it needed to be said. It turned out that Katara’s description of Dagobah as a swamp didn’t do justice to how unpleasant the planet was. The ground constantly threatened to sink under her feet, the foliage was so thick sometimes she had to cut through the vines with her lightsaber, and the heavy air was filled with an unsettling variety of chirps, creeks, and burbles. She couldn’t image why anyone would have chosen to live there.

And yet, Toph  _ was  _ there. Korra could sense the presence of a strong Force user, but though she could tell they were somewhere the in the area, the sheer volume of life around her made it difficult to get a more precise fix on Toph’s location. Nor were there any signs of civilization she could use as a guide. At this point, Korra had no better plan than walking around the swamp and hoping she got lucky.

“Master Toph?” she called out tentatively. Korra felt silly, calling for a Jedi Master like she was a lost pet, but what else could she do?

“Master Toph!” This time Korra was louder, but the only response she got was a squelching sound when her boot sunk into a patch of mud that turned out to be less solid than she’d anticipated. She stumbled forward, and by the time she got herself clear, filth covered the bottom of her pant leg as well her boot. Her robe had been a lost cause some time ago, and Korra shook her head at the mess.

“This seemed like a better plan back on Coruscant,” she muttered, wincing slightly as she straightened up. Master Katara had done a good job patching up her wounds, but what had felt fine in the medical bay was starting to act up after nearly two hours of trudging.

A few meters away, she could see a log sticking up, safely out of the muck, and she decided taking a little break from her search wouldn’t be such a bad idea. After all, it wasn’t like Toph was going anywhere.

The log wasn’t exactly comfortable; hard, pointy, and slightly damp beneath her, but Korra still sighed with relief as she settled down onto it. She didn’t want to wait there too long, but it was hard to pick herself back up. This search was going just as badly as everything else she’d tried recently. “Come on, Korra,” she told herself. “You can do this. I mean, it’s not like you have to beat that Sith monster yourself. You just have to find the Jedi who’s going to do it. Even you should be able to handle that much.”

“Who can handle what now?”

Korra’s head whipped around. Standing a few paces behind her, balanced on a tree stump, was a short woman with long, messy white hair, a dirty garment who’s original providence was impossible to determine, and a disdainful expression. Her eyes were a pale blue, almost white, and they didn’t move the way Korra expected. There was only one person it could be. The woman looked like an older version of Chief Beifong in a number of ways, only one of which was her frown.

“Master Toph?”

The woman did not confirm her identity, but she didn’t deny it either. She simply waited with a look on her face that made it clear she would’ve preferred to be left alone.

“I didn’t realize you were there,” Korra continued. “How’d you sneak up on me?”

“I just walked,” Toph said in a raspy, impatient voice. “If you didn’t see me, that’s your problem.”

Korra narrowed her eyes. Apparently, she was going to have to get straight to the point, because Toph Beifong seemed even less fond of pleasantries than Lin. "Well, if you are Master Toph, I need your help."

Toph remained unimpressed. "Nearest inhabited port is on Utapau, 750 light years away. That hunk of junk you call a ship should be able to make it that far, at least if it hasn’t sunk into the bog."

"That’s not the kind of help I need."

"That's the kind I'm offering." Toph hopped off the stump she had been perched on and headed away, moving through the mud without any difficulty.

With a groan of frustration, Korra sloshed after her. "Wait! It's important. Master Katara sent me—whoa!" She nearly tripped over a root hidden beneath the muck, only just managing to catch her balance in time.

Toph paused and turned around, although Korra doubted it was out of concern for her. "Katara? That old fool's still alive? Don't tell me—she sent you here with some dumb speech about hope, right?"

Korra wasn't sure how to respond. Her mouth opened and closed as she searched for her words.

"Let me give you a piece of advice. There will always be evil in the galaxy, and blind hope is a delusional way to deal with it. A  _ better _ way is to go live in a swamp where nobody can bother you. And 'nobody' includes you, kid."

Toph continued retreating into the gloom, leaving Korra to scurry after her while trying not to trip a second time.

"Hold on!" After several squelching steps, Korra managed to close the gap between them. "You're even more of a misanthropist than Lin."

Toph didn't seem surprised by the mention of her oldest daughter. She merely snorted. "Who do you think she learned it from? Now, why don't you learn something? Like how to leave people alone?"

"I still need your help," Korra protested. She was half out of breath from jogging, but Toph didn't seem the slightest bit winded. "This ancient sith named Vaatu is alive, somehow, and he's trying to..."

"Not my problem."

"But he's building a superweapon that might destroy Coruscant. Maybe the entire system!"

"Then go stop him. You can start by leaving my swamp."

Korra ground her teeth in frustration. "Wait just a second!" She reached for Toph's shoulder to prevent the old woman from starting off again, but her hand never made contact. Something hard knocked her arm aside, and then something even more powerful pushed her off her feet, sending her flying backwards into the mud.

"Ugh!" Korra spluttered, swiping mud from her face. She glared at Toph as best she could with one eye, coughing to get the taste of swamp water out of her mouth. "What is  _ wrong _ with you?"

"Besides a rude Jedi intruding on my planet?"

"I'm not intruding," Korra said, struggling to pick herself up. Despite being covered in disgusting things she didn't want to think about, she wasn't ready to give up. "I'm asking for your help. Katara said you knew how to fight Force constructs, and I... can't."

For the first time, a look of surprise crossed Toph's face. She looked at Korra directly, if it could be called looking when it was done without eyes. Even so, Korra felt a shudder race down her spine. She had a feeling Toph could sense a great deal about her even without seeing.

"You can't?" Toph repeated.

"No," Korra said. "I can't."

"Because you're afraid."

It was Korra's turn to look surprised. "But how—"

Toph waved her off. "Your aura is all wrong. You reek of fear. And you know how that goes."

_ Fear leads to anger. Anger leads to hate. Hate leads to suffering. And how many people are going to suffer because of my fear? _ Korra’s face fell as she pondered the question. “I do. And that’s why I came here to find you. You’ve fought these things before. You wouldn’t be afraid of Vaatu.”

“Didn’t I just finish telling you I’m retired? You might have noticed, what with the whole ‘living in a swamp at the edge of the galaxy’ part.”

“I know, but come on.” Korra threw up her hands, her frustration temporarily overwhelming her self-loathing. “The galaxy needs your help. You have to do  _ something  _ besides just sit here in the mud and make snide remarks at anybody who turns up.”

Toph shook her head. “No, I don’t.”

“But you helped Master Aang,” Korra protested. “Surely you must care at least a little bit.”

“Yeah, well, Twinkle Toes is gone.”

_ Twinkle Toes? _ “But I’m not. I’m the Chosen One now, and I’m here asking for your help.”

“ _ You’re _ the Chosen One?” Toph’s face screwed up tight, the old master looking as disappointed in Korra as she felt with herself. “Not much of one it seems.”

Korra wished she could argue with that, but if she could’ve, she wouldn’t have been in this miserable swamp in the first place. “Maybe I’m not a very good Chosen One. But that’s why I need your help. Please, Master Toph. I don’t have anywhere else to turn.”

For once, Toph didn’t immediately snap back at Korra. Instead, she merely stayed perched on the log for a long moment, seemingly lost in thought. Finally, she lifted her head, seeming to regard Korra through her milky eyes. She might not be able to see, but there was no denying her power with the Force, strength Korra could feel, power no doubt being used to appraise her now. 

“You know, there is something there,” Toph finally said. “You might not sound the same, but you do remind me of him a little bit. But that doesn’t mean I’m coming with you. My time’s done. Most of my friends are dead, and this is my home now.”

“But what am I…”

“Hush. I wasn’t done talking.” Korra shut her mouth and Toph continued. “Just because I’m not going to fight your battles for you doesn’t mean I can’t help. Maybe I can offer you a few pointers for dealing with this Force construct you’re so hot and bothered about. If you really are the Chosen One, that ought to be enough to get the job done.”

Korra exhaled, long and slow and deep. Lessons weren’t what she’d come here for. It meant that she’d have to face Vaatu again. But maybe that was what was she had to do. If she really was the Chosen One, then it was up to her to defeat the Sith, not pass the job off on someone else. “All right, Master Toph. If you’re willing to teach me, then I’m ready to learn. Where do we start?”

Toph laughed. “With stew. It is dinner time, after all.”

* * *

The soft beeping of the monitors sounded like the screech of warning sirens in Kuvira's ears. Aside from medical equipment, and the cot she was lying in, there was nothing—and no one—else in the room. Even the hum of the base’s generators was too distant for her to pick up. The only thing she had to distract her from the beeping was the pain.

Her entire body ached. Broken bones, bruises, abrasions—and that was after the bacta tank had done its work. According to the medic assigned to take care of her, she had been in there for almost a day. Korra had done that to her. Korra…

She closed her eyes, trying to ignore the anger rising within her. Her Master told her to embrace that feeling, but right now, when she was already in constant pain, she didn't want to deal with it. She wanted to forget.

But forgetting wasn't easy. A flash of the past came back to her: an adolescent training injury that had ended with a broken leg. It had been her fault. She'd changed the parameters of the exercise to make things more interesting. She and Korra had both gotten in trouble for that, but that hadn't stopped Korra from visiting her every day until she was able to walk again.

Kuvira sighed, opening her eyes again and staring at the foot of the bed. This time, she was all alone. Her Master certainly wasn't going to come and offer encouraging words. He was powerful to an inhuman degree, and he had taught her a great deal more than she had ever learned at the temple, but sympathetic and nurturing, he was not. He had more important things to do, like fighting against the corruption of the Jedi. He was the fire that scorched the overgrown wilderness, not a gardener who tended the fields.

She had hoped to take that role. After the destruction of Coruscant and the Jedi Temple, she would have tried to raise a new order: one built on compassion instead of cold indifference. She would have raised up new younglings, ones with proper respect for justice and enough bravery to stand up for what was right. And, of course, there would be no more Chosen One. No more better-than-others. Everyone would be equal, and everyone would help defend everyone else.

Korra. Her thoughts always circled back to Korra. No matter how hard she tried to fight away the memories of her friend, they crept back in. Even the way Korra had broken her body wasn't enough to drive her away. But to Kuvira's surprise, thinking about Korra only left her bitter for a few moments. Instead, recalling their time together made her... sad. Wistful. Some small part of her wished Korra would come visit her this time, too, as though their friendship had never ended—as though they hadn't tried to kill each other twice now.

Kuvira closed her eyes again, reclining back further on her pillow even though the motion sent a lancing pain through her back. She would not make the Jedi mistake of dismissing her feelings and pretending they didn't matter. She would hold onto them tightly until she understood them, and then use that emotion to fuel her recovery. She would get well, until she was stronger than before. She would continue to serve her Master. And she would face Korra again, with an even greater sense of purpose than before.

But, for now, her heart felt broken—and that was something medicine couldn't repair.

***

“Eat up.”

Korra took the simple wooden bowl from Toph, but actually doing as she’d been told wasn’t so simple. As a Jedi, Korra was accustomed to a plain diet, but though the food at the temple wasn’t fancy, it was always edible. This, on the other hand… The broth was a sickly green color, the smell was enough to make her nose wrinkle up with disgust, and she could have sworn there was something moving beneath the surface.

“So,” she began hesitantly, “I appreciate the stew and all, but I’m not sure this is safe to eat.”

“I eat it, don’t I? How bad can it be?” Toph picked up her own bowl and noisily slurped down a large spoonful of the broth, seemingly heedless of the issues that were troubling Korra.

_ Yeah, but you might be nuts,  _ Korra thought, though she decided against giving voice to her opinion. Instead, she picked her own spoon and made a game attempt at eating something.

A moment later, she was glad Toph couldn’t actually see her face. The stew tasted as good as it smelled, and Korra had to fight the urge to spit it up back up.  _ Just empty your mind,  _ Korra told herself.  _ Toph’s cranky enough as it is; you don’t need to make things worse by retching all over her home. _ Not that there was much to Toph’s small hut: a cooking fire, a few seemingly random knick-knacks from her old life, and a cot on a dirt floor were all that Korra’s sickness would have put at risk.

Fortunately, her Jedi training provided to be good for something, and Korra was able to swallow the stew without incident. She even managed a few more small spoonfuls for politeness’ sake before setting the bowl down next to the stew pot and turning back to her host.

“Master Toph, we need to get started on the training.”

Toph snorted, not replying until she finished off another mouthful of her own stew. “Wow, you’re impatient. I’m surprised you managed to get past being a padawan with that attitude.”

She wasn’t entirely wrong; Master Tenzin had often chastised Korra for always being in a hurry. But her natural hastiness wasn’t the reason for her urgency now. “When I was a padawan, there wasn’t some Sith Lord’s spirit preparing a super weapon they were planning on using against Coruscant. There might not be much time left before he strikes.  The rest of the Jedi are going to try and stop him before that happens, but if they fail, then I have to be ready to…”

“Oh, don’t get your panties in a bunch.” Toph set down her now-empty bowl and picked up her walking stick. “If you’re that eager to get knocked into the mud some more, then let’s go get started.”


	18. Chapter 18

Opal threw herself behind the nearest rock, flattening her back against its surface just in time. Several shots from a blaster flew by, passing mere inches away from her face. She clawed at the stone with her gloved hands, struggling to breathe. Her lungs were burning, and though she still had a tight grip on her lightsaber, her limbs trembled with fear that her training hadn’t entirely allowed her to control.

Everything had been chaos from the moment their shuttles landed. Somehow, Vaatu had known they were coming. There was no sign of him, or the presumably still injured Kuvira, on the field, but he had deployed plenty of battle droids and along with a detachment of soldiers to greet them. Heavy turrets had been installed by the front door as well, and so far, none of the Jedi nor the Coruscant officers had been able to breach it.

_ “We have to get inside,”  _ she heard someone—maybe her Aunt Lin—over the sound of the turrets, Opal couldn’t be quite sure—yell through the comm channel.  _ “Whatever it takes we have to destroy Vaatu and the weapon…” _

_ “Lin, your people can’t risk it,” _ another voice said. She recognized this one, only because the shrieking had stopped for a moment. It was Tenzin.  _ “They’ve increased security. Only the Jedi have a chance to break through against this kind of firepower.” _

_ “We’re not leaving you to do this alone! If you can get inside the base, you’re going to need back-up.” _

This time, there was no mistaking her aunt’s voice. Opal peeked over the crevice she had taken refuge behind, just in time to see a squad of Coruscant police officers emerge from the cliffside several hundred yards away. They were sprinting for the door, a desperate play, but Opal couldn’t watch them for long. Two soldiers in gleaming black armor popped up from behind the next rock over, aiming their blasters at her.

Before they could fire, Opal tapped into the Force. High on adrenaline, she managed to send the first soldier flying through the air. He hurtled over the nearby cliffside, screaming on the way down. While his companion stared after him in shock, Opal leapt. She swung her saber down in an arc, cutting through his plasmoid armor and slicing him in two.

Though she was relatively new to real battles, she already realized there was no time during one to think about the fact that she had just killed two men. She kept running, heading straight for the group of officers.

The turrets fired again. Several armored bodies exploded into fine pink mist. Opal’s heart lurched—could one of them be Lin?—but then she saw her aunt in the middle of the group, still running for the entrance, shooting at a dangerously positioned squad of droids. It wasn’t enough. The droids kept advancing even as the turrets mowed down more officers.

“Aunt Lin!”

Without a second thought, Opal charged in to help, deflecting blaster fire with her lightsaber. The turrets spewed in her direction, but she kept a few steps ahead, ignoring the way the scorched earth split behind her. At last, she reached Lin. Most of her squad had been decimated, and bodies littered the ground—at least the ones the turrets hadn’t pulverized.

“Opal, what are you doing here?” Lin shouted above the fray. “Get back with Tenzin at the command post.”

“I’m here to help,” Opal panted. “If you’re bringing your people in, the least I can do is deflect some of the fire for them.” To emphasize her point, she raised her lightsaber, deflecting several additional blaster bolts and sending them back at the still-advancing squad of droids. “See. Together we have a better chance to…”

She never got a chance to finish her sentence. The next thing Opal knew, Lin’s broad shoulder collided with her stomach, sending her sprawling. They both hit the ground just in time. The turrets fired, leaving a crater in the very spot the two of them had been standing on moments before.

“You’re an idiot,” Lin grumbled, rolling off of her and proffering a hand. “Do you know what your mother would do to me if you died?”

“You’re not expendable either!” Opal grabbed a blaster from one of the fallen soldiers, firing past Lin’s hip at a half-stripped droid that was approaching from the rear. It collapsed in a heap of sparks and scrap metal, but Opal couldn’t help but noticed that they had still made no forward progress, at an increasingly steep price.

The Jedi strike team was faring better. Using their lightsabers to block the lighter fire and their enhanced reflexes to dodge the rest, they had managed to avoid taking many casualties in their dash to the gate. The first group of them had reached the turrets and with a combination of their sabers and the Force, they were beginning to take down the lethal weapons, one after another.

“Finally we’re getting somewhere.” 

Lin picked herself off of the ground and gestured to her men to follow her as she resumed her charge toward the gate. All across the field, the rest of the police units were doing the same, at last able to advance now that the Jedi were disabling the turrets. Several of the Jedi had turned their attention to the gate itself, cutting through its thick metal slowly but surely with their lightsabers, and Opal’s spirits rose at the sight. They had paid a steep price to get this far, but if they found the weapon and Vaatu inside and destroyed them before they could do any more harm, it would been worth the sacrifices.

And then she heard Tenzin’s voice cut in over the comms. “Stop! Pull back! All of you need to pull back at once!”

He sounded as close to frightened as a Jedi Master ever got, and across the reforming line, Opal saw the soldiers first hesitate and then turn, making for the drop ships. “What’s going on?” Lin barked into her comm, but Opal noticed that she, too, was retreating albeit more slowly than most.

“This isn’t what it seems,” Tenzin explained. “I can’t pinpoint what’s wrong, but the Force is telling me we have to go now!”

Lin gritted her teeth. Her eyes scanned the bodies littering their previous path. It was clear she didn’t want to abandon the hard-won progress they had made, but in the end, she decided to trust Master Tenzin’s insight. “Agreed. We’ll have to make our stand on Coruscant instead.”

“Asami will help,” Opal panted as she and Lin sprinted back toward their waiting ships. Many of the turrets had been destroyed, which meant that they mostly only had to dodge a few of the remaining soldiers and droids while they ran. “I bet she can pull something about what Vaatu is building out of Hiroshi’s files.”

“Let’s hope she’s already working on it,” Lin grunted. “I don’t know what spooked Tenzin, but if we’re leaving here without finishing the job, that girl’s big brain might be our only chance.”

At last, they arrived at the shuttles—and it was only then that Opal noticed Lin was favoring one leg. The plated armor on the other seemed singed, and she thought she could see blood leaking through a crack.

“You’re hurt,” Opal said, preparing to slip a shoulder beneath Lin’s arm. “You were running even though you got shot?”

Lin didn’t take the assistance. She staggered over to Tenzin, who was waiting by one of the remaining shuttles. “Had to try,” she told him.

Tenzin’s frown remained in place, but he nodded. “I know it hurts to leave now, but I’m telling you something’s wrong. For one thing, there’s no sign of Vaatu.”

“He could’ve been inside the base,” Lin pointed out.

“That’s what I thought at first, especially since this entire area is saturated with the Dark Side. But by now, I should’ve been able to sense something more definite. I think he left before we even arrived.”

“Then he’s holed up somewhere else, probably with the weapon,” Lin said.

“It doesn’t matter,” Opal insisted. She hopped into the shuttle, taking one of the seats and leaving another beside her for Lin. “We’ll get ready to face him on our turf. If he thinks he can take Coruscant, he’s in for a surprise.”

Lin and Tenzin jumped in as well, and the shuttle doors hissed shut. The engines roared to life, and a moment later, they were flying.

As it turned out, they took off just in time.

A second later, something powerful collided with the side of the ship and it jolted from side to side, rocked by the impact. When Opal recovered from the whiplash, she gazed out of the nearest window. Fire was blossoming below her, devouring what remained of the cliffside. The entire base had exploded beneath them, only seconds after they had escaped.

Many had not been so fortunate. A significant number of Lin’s officers had still been on the ground, along with the entire first wave of Jedi to reach the turrets. Opal felt their deaths in Force, a sudden emptiness that ripped through her, leaving behind a rent in her heart.

She closed her eyes, pushing back the pain, and when she opened them again, she saw that Tenzin’s face had turned ashen. “I was too late. The shroud of the Dark Side... I thought Vaatu had to be here. I couldn’t sense what was really going on until it was too late.”

“I ordered my people into his trap for nothing,” Lin muttered, her normally stoic face also betraying rare signs of pain. As much as she pretended to be made of stone, she bled with her officers, and the depths of anguish Opal could sense in her aunt were heart wrenching.

“You couldn’t have known, either of you,” she said quietly. Lin and Tenzin were two of the people she looked up to most after her mother, and seeing them so devastated made her feel old.

“I don’t blame myself,” Lin snapped, although the glare she aimed at Opal did not really appear directed at her. It seemed distant, Opal thought, as though her anger was seeking something else. “I blame the Sith. And trust me when I say I’m going to make Vaatu pay for this.”

* * *

“Is that a message from Chief Beifong?”

“No.” Mako’s curt reply wasn’t a surprise. Every time the ping of a new message would come from the terminal he was working at, Bolin would ask the same question, and by Asami’s count, that had led to seven repetitions in the last hour.

“I’m sure Mako will tell us as soon as he hears something from Lin, but right now, we have to keep focused.”

Not that Asami was entirely following her own advice. Her father had done a very skillful job burying his work for Kuvira and Vaatu in the mountain of meaningless corporate documents that were currently spread across a table in Hiroshi’s home office. Digging through them while trying not to worry about the people who were actually out fighting the Sith wasn’t the easiest task.

Especially for Bolin. Though Asami knew he was genuinely worried about everyone, it was clear that one person in particular was on his mind as he paced back and forth across the room. “Opal will be all right, won’t she? I mean, she’s really tough. Look at how good a job she did taking out the soldiers at Kuvira’s base. But I guess she didn’t do so well with Vaatu. But Korra didn’t either. I hope Korra’s okay too. But at least she’s not in danger right now…”

“Enough!” Mako snapped, just as his terminal beeped once more. The sound yanked everyone’s attention in its direction, and when Mako saw who the message was from, his face tightened. He scanned its contents, and Asami could see the exact moment they sunk in.

“It was a trap,” he said, far more softly than before. Vaatu and the weapon weren’t at the base, and once the strike teams engaged, the Sith blew it up.”

Bolin’s face fell. He froze in the middle of his pacing, and for once, his mouth stopped working. Asami rushed to comfort him. She knew exactly how he felt. It reminded her of the moment she had seen Korra collapse to the ground in front of Vaatu, the moment her heart had almost stopped beating…

“She’s alive,” Mako said, just as Asami put a reassuring hand on Bolin’s broad shoulder. She felt it sag with relief. “So are Chief Beifong and Master Tenzin. They got out just ahead of the blast.”

“Oh, thank goodness,” Bolin sighed, exhaling deeply, and Asami moved her hand from his shoulder to his back.

“But there were a lot of deaths and injuries,” Mako continued. From the tension in his jaw, Asami could tell the news had been a blow. He didn’t show everything on his face the way Bolin did, but she knew from their past together that he felt things deeply—especially when it came to his fellow officers.

“But not Opal?”

Mako rose from his terminal. “Opal’s fine. They’re on their way back to Coruscant now.”

Asami took that as her cue to step away. She watched the brothers hug each other, sharing reassurance, and a curious ache opened up in her chest. Suddenly, she wished Korra was here. She had spent the last several days wanting that same thing, of course, but she felt it even more acutely now. Even though they got on each other’s nerves from time to time, Mako and Bolin had each other. They were family. With her father gone…

_ Have I really started thinking of Korra like that? As my family? _

“C’mere,” Bolin said, distracting her by yanking her into the hug.

Mako lifted his arm as well, and Asami smiled as the two brothers included her in their embrace. No matter what, at least she had friends.

The sound of a loud crash from downstairs made all three of them jerk apart. Asami flinched, but recovered quickly, raising her fists in a defensive position. Mako reached for his blaster, and even Bolin whipped toward the door and put his arms up.

“Asami?” Mako asked, looking at her.

“An attack,” Asami said. “Has to be.” She circled around the desk, grabbing the modified blaster she had thought to keep there. Good thing, too. It seemed her paranoia might be about to pay off. Alarms began blaring, and the lights above her dimmed before flashing bright again. “And there’s the security system.”

Right away, Mako was all business. “Is there somewhere safe we can hole up?”

Asami frowned. “I don’t think it’s a good idea. Most of the local Jedi and half the police force are gone. Who knows when someone will come to help?”

“So we make a break for it? We don’t even know how many people are here—”

Mako’s protests were interrupted by another loud boom. It was closer this time, and various knickknacks around the room rattled.

“I’m not staying near explosions,” Bolin said, putting into words exactly what Asami was thinking. “We need to get out of here!”

The three of them rushed for the door to Hiroshi’s office, blasters in hand.

As soon as they burst into the hallway, they came face to face with five strangers, all carrying weapons. They weren’t wearing the heavy duty plastoid armor of Darth Vaatu’s forces, but Asami didn’t take much comfort in that. Their guns were huge, and pointed right at them.

“Back inside!” Mako yelled. He practically shoved Bolin back through the door, firing to offer some cover.

Asami didn’t give him the chance to do the same to her. She backed away to the next door in the hallway, throwing it open and ducking behind it. A split second later, a large chunk of wood blew off the end as one of the mercenaries fired his heavy blaster carbine at her. She fired back, with a good deal more success. Her modified blaster punctured his armor, and he fell down onto the carpet, the edges of his chestpiece smoldering.

Mako ducked out of the office in an attempt to take out another one, but he wasn’t as lucky as she had been. Though his blaster caught his target in the shoulder, he wasn’t fast enough to avoid the return fire. A volley of shots came from the group of mercenaries and one of them struck him squarely in the chest.

He collapsed to the ground as a cry of anguish and rage came from Bolin that Asami had never heard out of the normally-friendly actor. He hurled himself bodily at the mercenaries, his sudden assault taking them off-guard. Ultimately he was no more successful than Mako had been. Though he hurled one of them into a wall, the men behind them opened fire and Bolin collapsed to the ground in a heap next to his brother. 

For an instant, Asami went cold all over, unable to believe that her friends could be dead so suddenly, but then she realized what Bolin hadn’t taken the time to: neither of them was actually hurt. There were no burns where they’d been shot, indicating that the blasters had been set to stun. Both of them would be fine when they woke up in an hour or two, with nothing more than headaches to remind them what had happened.

It was good to know the intruders wanted them alive, but that didn’t mean Asami intended to go quietly. She leaned out further past the door and got off another shot, retreating before she could share the brothers’ fate. Unfortunately, her haste meant that she only caught him in the leg and unlike her previous target, he staggered, but didn’t fall down.

Asami slammed the door shut behind her, but there was no immediate attempt by the mercenaries to follow. Once she caught her breath, she took a moment to look for cover. The room she’d ducked into was a sitting room, and a nearby overstuffed chair looked like the best bet. She rolled toward it, but she didn’t get there in time. One of the mercenaries kicked open the door, and even as Asami swung her blaster around, he tossed a small metal ball in her direction.

Her shot hit him in the side, but though Asami dived away from the sphere, the easy chair wasn’t enough to shield her from the blast of the concussion grenade. A wave of force washed over her, throwing backward. She struck the wall hard, the impact knocking the wind out of her, and before she could recover from it, a second blow hit. A picture that had been hanging there crashed down on her head, making it swim.

The man she’d hit was temporarily out of action, clutching at the wound in his side, but another mercenary took his place. He was limping from where Asami had shot him, but he could still hold a blaster and when she raised her own pistol to strike first, it seemed as if there were two mercenaries wavering back and forth in front of her. Though she managed to squeeze off a shot, it went wild, striking the wall harmlessly. He returned fire, and she was far too dazed to dodge. A stun blast slammed into her chest, and darkness swiftly followed.


	19. Chapter 19

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And we're back after our little Cora diversion. Enjoy!

Asami awoke to darkness. She tried to take stock of her situation, but without her eyesight, that was difficult. Stabbing pain pierced her skull and her body felt like one giant bruise. Each breath made her aware of a persistent ache in her ribs, and she prayed she hadn’t cracked one. The smell of gas fumes tickled the back of her throat, threatening to make her cough. When she tried to raise a hand to her mouth, she discovered it was tied behind her. Both of her arms were bound from wrist to elbow.

She blinked rapidly. Apparently, the reason she couldn’t see was because someone had blindfolded her. In her dazed state, she hadn’t noticed the fabric. No light broke through, so she listened instead. Beside her, she thought she could hear faint groaning.

“Mako? Bolin? Are you there?”

“Asami,” Mako said. “You’re awake.” He sounded glad to hear her voice and Asami felt a wave of relief wash over her. At least she and Mako were alive, for now.

“Where’s Bolin?”

“Here,” Bolin said. “With a killer headache. You okay?”

“Considering we’ve just been kidnapped.”

A loud banging interrupted her, likely the stomp of a boot on the ground. “Be quiet, scum,” a gruff voice said—perhaps one of the thugs who had captured them. “Varrick isn’t ready to see you.”

_ Varrick…? _

It took Asami’s fuzzy brain a moment to put the pieces together, but when she did, she almost laughed despite the pain. Varrick the Hutt?  _ He _ had captured them? She had been so focused on Kuvira and Vaatu that she hadn’t even remembered Bolin had a bounty on his head. It had dropped down to ninth or tenth on their growing list of problems. Apparently, though, Bolin’s lack of payment and the mercenaries they had beaten up were high on someone else’s list.

_ I can probably get us out of this, _ she thought.  _ I was so busy helping Korra and dealing with my father that I didn’t remember about Bolin’s debt, but I have plenty of money to pay it off. I’m sure Varrick will be reasonable, as long as enough credits are involved. _

But negotiating a deal would require speaking with Varrick directly. “Can we talk to him?” Asami asked the guard, turning her head vaguely left. She thought that was where his voice had come from. “I’m sure we can reach some sort of arrangement…”

The loud noise sounded again, much closer to Asami’s head. “I said shut up! Varrick will see you when he sees you.”

Asami went quiet. Arguing with a guard wouldn’t do her any good. She would just have to wait.

The not-quite-silence seemed to stretch on for a long time, but that could have been her mind racing ahead. She heard footsteps, some doors opening and closing—maybe guards changing shifts? Underneath it all was the hum of generators. It almost sounded like they were in a basement of some kind, or maybe a large storage room. The noises around them seemed to echo off the walls.

Finally, somebody hauled her to her feet. The grip on her arm was bruising, and she flinched instinctively. The guard didn’t loosen his gloved grip or remove her blindfold as he dragged her toward an exit. Beside her, she could hear Mako and Bolin being pulled along as well, their feet scuffing against the floor. She took a deep breath. Hopefully, once they got to see Varrick, she could straighten this out.

After a long walk down what she assumed was a hallway, she heard the sound of doors whooshing open. Her ‘escort’ shoved her through, and at last, he snatched off her blindfold.

It took Asami several moments to adjust to the light shining in her eyes. It was too bright for her to see much more than blurry shapes, but she could hear. There were several people laughing and talking, and the sound of energetic music filled the room. _Is that… a saxophone?_ _What is this, some kind of party?_

She squinted as her vision began to clear. The first thing she did was check for Mako and Bolin. They were beside her, held in check by their own guards. Next, she looked around the room. There was indeed a party going on, from what little she could see. A band was blowing away on strange instruments in one corner, and several people were dancing. Others were gorging themselves—the smell of fuel had faded, replaced with delicious-smelling food. If she hadn’t been a prisoner, Asami’s mouth might have watered.

On the other side of the room from the band’s stage, there was a sort of dais with several shallow steps. Reclining atop it on a long couch was a huge, hulking figure Asami had never seen before, but recognized instantly. It had to be Varrick. He was a massive Hutt, at least four times the size of a human. His flat face looked slimy around his mouth and eyes, but the rest of his green skin was rough and leathery. Surrounding him were more guards, all armed, as well as a shiny silver droid.

_ A Zh5-L1 model? _

The guard nudged them toward Varrick. “Here they are, boss. As promised, one deadbeat actor and his two troublemaking friends.”

The deadbeat actor in question wasted no time launching into a speech that it seemed he had prepared but not quite perfected on their way. “Uh, hi, Varrick. Good to see you again. I wish was under better circumstances. I mean, I guess these circumstances are fine for you, but they’re not so good for me, but anyway, it’s good to see you, so…”

“Enough!” Mako cut his brother off. “Varrick, I don’t know what you think you’re up to here, but your thugs have just kidnapped three people, one of them a member of the Coruscant police. I recommend you release us before the hole you’ve dug for yourself gets any deeper.”

Varrick laughed. The sound wasn’t as deep as Asami would’ve expected given his massive bulk, but it was definitely unsettling. “From what I’ve heard, the police have bigger problems to worry about right now, which means you three are on your own. Bolin, I’m very disappointed in you. I went and gave you an advance of…” He turned to the droid. “How many credits was it, Zh5-L1?”

The droid answered in a feminine voice that had a definite hint of resignation in it. “Nineteen thousand, eight hundred, sir.”

“That’s right. Nineteen thousand, eight hundred credits, loaned against the profits from your next mover. But, Zh5-L1, how much  _ was  _ Bolin’s share of the profits on  _ Slaves of the Spice Mines _ ?”

“Only three thousand, six hundred and nine credits, sir.”

“Which means that you owe me…”

“Sixteen thousand, one hundred and ninety-one credits, sir.”

_ Sixteen thousand, one hundred and ninety-one credits _ ?! Asami had to fight to keep her jaw from hitting the floor. That was how much money this entire nonsense was over?

To Mako, however, it appeared to represent a somewhat larger sum. “Why did you need that much money?” he demanded of his brother. “Certainly not for the rent on that dump of an apartment you’ve been living in.”

“Well, there was this twi’lek I met on a film shoot who had a system for gambling on pod racing, and he just needed a few investors to get the whole thing started, and everything was going great until he got into trouble with these bounty hunters and had to use the money to get them to...”

“Stop it!” Varrick threw up his arms in exasperation. “I don’t care what you did with my money. What I care about is that you didn’t pay me, and then, when I sent some associates over to talk about it, you and your friends beat the stuffing out of them. That’s why I’m going to… What was the thing that I promised I would do to Bolin if he didn’t pay me, Zh5-L1?”

“You were going to feed him to a Nexu, sir.”

“That’s right. Feed you to a Nexu. Fascinating animals, those. Did you know that their teeth are capable of biting through an inch and a half of armor? Anyway, can you give me one good reason why I shouldn’t do that right now?”

_ Okay. This is getting out of hand.  _ Future Industries spent more than Bolin owed on office supplies every week; Asami certainly didn’t intend to die for it. “Because we can pay the money.” She stepped forward, mustering up as much authority as she could manage as a bound prisoner. “We haven’t been formally introduced, Varrick. My name is Asami Sato, acting CEO of Future Industries.”

Varrick’s sunken eyes widened slightly and he turned his massive head to face Bolin. “Asami Sato, of  _ the  _ Satos? How exactly does a loser like you know someone like that?”

“Oh, she used to date my brother,” Bolin babbled. “She nearly ran him over with her skycar, and then she asked him out to dinner.”

Asami rolled her eyes. “Yes, that’s right. But it’s also beside the point. Whatever the details of your dispute with Bolin, I’m sure we can work out a settlement that will benefit all of us. Shall we shall say thirty-six thousand credits? The balance of the debt plus twenty thousand or so for the inconvenience to your employees?”

Varrick laughed, a rumbling, burping sound that made Asami’s stomach lurch with disgust. He was joined by the cackling cronies who surrounded him, and Asami’s face fell as their hooting grew to a loud, unsavory volume. Perhaps this wasn’t going to be as simple as she’d hoped.

“Simply paying off Bolin’s balance, even with interest, won’t be satisfactory at this point, Miss Sato. You see, I intend to make an example of him. He’s much more valuable to me that way. And you.” He ran his slimy tongue over his enormous lips. “The acting CEO of Future Industries is worth much more than…”

“Thirty six thousand credits, sir,” Zh5-L1 added.

Varrick nodded his massive head. “Yes, that. Future Industries has profits in the millions.”

_ Billions, _ Asami thought, but didn’t say.  _ The least you can do is stop shortchanging my company. _

“I wonder, what your father would pay to have his only daughter back?” Varrick continued.

Asami’s heart sank. If Varrick had his mind set on ransom, he was going to be very disappointed. “Your plan won’t work,” she told him, in one last, desperate attempt to change his mind. “My father has abandoned me and the company. He’s in league with the Sith and he tried to kill me himself before fleeing Coruscant. Why do you think I’m the acting CEO?”

Varrick let out another barking laugh, his tiny eyes bugging out of his head. Like before, the rest of the crowd laughed along with him, although the sound was decidedly nervous. Asami couldn’t help wondering if those who didn’t play along were thrown to the Nexu as well.

“Do you really expect me to believe that?” Varrick spat, sending slime spraying from his mouth. “Hiroshi Sato, the most successful businessman on Coruscant, in league with the Sith?  _ If _ they even still exist, that would be ridiculous.” He turned to Zh5-L1

“Yes, sir. It’s highly unlikely, sir.”

“She’s telling the truth,” Mako said, with barely contained anger. “Hiroshi Sato isn’t going to give you any kind of ransom. If you want your credits, your best bet is to let the three of us go so Asami can pay you.”

Varrick snorted. “And let the three of you run to the police? Chief Beifong has never been able to capture me, but it would be… inconvenient to move my operation again so soon. I’m quite comfortable here.”

“No police,” Asami promised. “One hundred thousand credits for the three of us to go free. That’s my final offer.”

“I’m sorry, Miss Sato. You aren’t in a position to negotiate.” Varrick waved one of his miniature hands, gesturing at the guards. “Guards, take them to the holding cells. And Zh5-L1? Compose a message for Hiroshi Sato. Tell him we’ve got his daughter, and if he ever wants to see her again, he needs to pay up.”

“You’re making a mistake!” Bolin shouted as the guards hauled the three of them from the room. “Asami’s telling the truth! There’s no one to pay the ransom—”

One of the guards cuffed his head, cutting him off mid-sentence. He went quiet, although Asami was relieved to see that he could still walk under his own power. Her mind raced, trying to think of a solution, but so far, nothing was coming to mind. Varrick refused to listen to reason. All the credits in the world weren’t going to get her out of this one, and without any tools and only the clothes on her back, escape was extremely unlikely.

“Don’t worry,” Mako muttered as he was dragged down the hallway alongside her. “Someone will notice we’re gone and come looking for us. Chief Beifong will get suspicious.”

But privately, Asami doubted it. Chief Beifong already had enough on her plate dealing with Kuvira and Vaatu. Even if she did notice they were gone and saw the mess at the Sato Mansion, it was unlikely she would be able to devote enough manpower to finding them here… wherever here was.

Asami’s shoulders slumped in defeat. There was only one other person who might actually stand a chance at rescuing them, and that person was currently far, far away.  _ Oh, Korra, where are you? _


	20. Chapter 20

_ “Oh, Korra.” _

_ Those two simple words made Korra’s heart crash against her ribs. Asami’s voice was filled with breathless desire, potent enough to let Korra forget how little she knew about what she was about to do. She knew she wanted to do it, though. Asami sat above her, regal in her high-backed, leather chair, waiting for Korra to act. Her bare legs were spread, and while her blouse was still on, it was unbuttoned, giving Korra a view of her full breasts, covered only by a lacy black bra. _

_ It was a vision of pure sex, and an invitation that Korra couldn’t and wouldn’t refuse. Her training and her doubts didn’t matter. Only the two of them were real. _

_ She began kissing her way up one pale leg, running her hands over the smooth skin as she went. It was warm beneath her, and Korra thought she could just keep doing this for hours, learning every inch of Asami’s skin, exploring every curve and muscle. But she knew Asami didn’t want to wait that long. Already, she was purring, and Korra was hungry to find out what other sounds she would hear when she made her way higher. _

_ As her lips trailed upward, Korra’s nose filled with the thick scent of Asami’s arousal. Her mouth began to water, and since she had no other plan to begin, she decided to follow her instincts. Her tongue darted out, making first, tentative contract with Asami’s silken folds. _

_ It was enough to send her head spinning. Korra let out a little gasp of desire, even as Asami moaned above her. The rich flavor wasn’t like anything she’d had before, and she was instantly hooked. Her tongue slid back and forth over Asami’s opening, drawing out more wetness that she eagerly lapped up. Asami jerked forward, pressing herself against Korra’s mouth. Her hand looped in Korra’s hair, urging her onward. _

_ “More, please,” she whimpered, and Korra felt herself soaking through her underwear at the plea. She wasn’t sure exactly what Asami wanted, but she knew that when she touched herself, her clit was the key to her release. Asami’s wasn’t hard to find, already engorged and poking out from beneath its hood, and Korra reluctantly abandoned her opening to find it. She hated to lose the taste, but it would be worth it if it gave Asami what she needed.  _

_ The press of her tongue across the length of clit made Asami cry out, and wetness dripped down Korra’s chin. Just the idea of having Asami come undone for her was almost more than she could take. How could this be wrong when it felt like all she could ever want? _

***

Korra awoke panting, throwing the thin blanket off of herself before she could remember where she was. It was always humid on Dagobah, but she knew that wasn’t the only reason for the sheen of sweat covering her skin. It certainly didn’t explain the slickness coating the inside of her thighs. That wasn’t the first erotic dream she’d had about Asami, but it might have been the most vivid. Even now, with her eyes open, it felt as if she was still there in Asami’s office, not on the floor of Toph’s hut. She could almost taste Asami lingering on her tongue...

_ Get a hold of yourself. This isn’t the time or the place for this. _

Korra shook her head, but she couldn’t seem to rid herself of the feelings. It didn’t seem as if that had a mere dream.  _ More like a prophecy. _ Jedi were taught to be careful when sensing the future. It was always shifting, events rearranging themselves in response to the choices people made, but Korra couldn’t escape the belief that what she’d dreamed of  _ would  _ happen.

She swallowed hard. It was hard to say if that prospect scared or thrilled her more, but either way, it wasn’t a thought she was going to be able to shake off easily.

“Oh, good. You’re finally up.”

Korra jerked in surprise, whirling around at the sound of another voice. Toph was approaching from the other side of the hut, and Korra winced with embarrassment. The short old woman always managed to sneak up on her, Jedi senses or no Jedi senses.

“Master Toph,” she said, trying not to sound as off-balance as she felt. “You’re looking…” Her eyes flicked up from Toph’s bare, mud-caked feet to her ragged green robes. “…awake.”

“Hmph. Been awake for hours. How are they training their younglings these days at the Temple? Do they all whimper in their sleep?”

Korra’s face burned. “Just a nightmare.” Toph’s milky eyes narrowed, and she made another low noise that Korra could only guess was disapproval. “I know not to put too much stock in dreams, or even visions,” she said. “Tenzin has told me they can lead a Jedi astray.”

“I’m sure he reminded you often,” Toph muttered. She shuffled over to the stove, stirring another bubbling pot of something Korra strongly suspected was inedible. “Never put much stock in that pearl of Jedi Wisdom myself. You can’t unsee what you bloody well saw, now can you?”

Korra wasn’t surprised by the somewhat blasphemous statement, but she also found herself curious. “What do you mean?”

“I mean the Sith aren’t completely full of bantha shit. The Jedi preach that we shouldn’t acknowledge our emotions, since they can lead us down the path of evil, blah blah blah. But even Jedi are human… or, well, whatever species they happen to be. Humans feel. We can’t pretend we don’t.”

“I don’t understand,” Korra said. “The Sith are evil—”

“Yes. But that’s because they’re slaves to their anger and hate. They take their emotions too far, without using any logic or reason, just like the Jedi skew too far in the other direction. Both groups are extremists.”

“You talk about the Jedi like you’re not one of them,” Korra said.

“I am who I am,” Toph said, turning around and pointing the wooden spoon at her. “And Chosen One or not, you are who you are. No one can tell you how to handle your feelings but you, and you can’t rely on anyone else to tell you what the right choice is.”

“Are we still talking about the Sith?” Korra asked. “Because it feels like we’re not talking about the Sith anymore…”

“Ugh. It’s useless talking to you. Shut up and put this in your mouth instead.” Toph plopped a steaming pile of grey mush into a bowl and carried it over, brandishing it almost threateningly. One lone bubble popped on top of the concoction’s frothy surface, and Korra had to choke back a noise of disgust.

“Uh, thanks,” she said, taking the bowl with forced a smile Toph couldn’t see.

“Just eat it,” Toph ordered, heading back to the stove. “It’s good for you. Healthier than the rubbish they put in you at the Temple anyway.”

Korra sighed. She brought the bowl to her lips and was pleased to discover the mush didn’t taste quite as horrible as it smelled. In fact, it was sort of bland.

As Toph continued clattering around in the kitchen, Korra’s mind wandered. The old Master’s words were still echoing in her head, but the shadow of her dream was far more distracting. Her skin still tingled with the memory of Asami’s touch even though it hadn’t been real.

Somewhere in her trance, she must have finished her bowl of mush, because the next thing she became aware of was Toph saying, “See? Not so bad. Now come on, it’s time for your training. The day’s disappearing faster than my patience.”

Korra nodded, focusing on her breathing as she attempted to keep herself grounded in the present. Toph wasn’t waiting. She pulled back the rough cloth curtain that passed for her door and headed out into the swamp, leaving Korra scrambling to catch up. Once more, she was struck by how effortlessly Toph navigated the treacherous terrain. She hopped nimbly from one landing spot to another, while Korra had to look before she made every step.

At last, Toph came to a stop at a relatively stable patch of ground. “This’ll do,” she declared, settling down on a tree stump at the edge of the clearing.

“How do you do that?” Korra asked, exhaling sharply.

Toph snorted. “Do what now?”

“Not fall in the swamp. I can barely keep myself out of the muck, but you never seem to have any problems.”

“Well, of course not. I’m blind.”

Korra’s brow furrowed. “But that doesn’t make any sense.”

“Sure it does. See, the Force tells you everything you need to know about where to walk. Your problem is you mess it up by looking where you’re going. Try not doing that.”

Korra closed her eyes and stretched out her awareness. Toph was right; now that she wasn’t looking, she could  _ feel _ more. The whole planet was alive, teeming with plants and animals and microorganisms. The ground beneath her, the water, the underbrush: all of them had their own distinct patterns in the Force. It would take a great deal of practice to be able to navigate using that awareness the way Toph did, but Korra could at least see what she meant.

“Now you’ve got it,” Toph said. “The Jedi try to tell you this stuff in training, making you wear those blindfolds, but they don’t really embrace it. As usual, they only get things half right.”

“As usual? What exactly is your problem with the Jedi?”

Korra only barely dodged the lump of peat moss that a flick of Toph’s wrist sent flying at her head. “Weren’t you listening to anything I said before? The Jedi tell you to bottle up all your emotions so you don’t turn to the Dark Side. Sure, it works out sometimes, but other times, people pop.”

“Pop?”

“Lose their marbles. Turn into Sith the way Exar Kun and Revan did. Maybe they wouldn’t have gone nuts if they were able to yell at some of the idiots who fill up the galaxy once in a while.”

_ Maybe Kuvira wouldn’t have.  _ As far back as Korra had known her, there had been an anger inside her friend. In training, the Jedi had tried to teach her to control those feelings, but maybe they had just been burying them deeper. Eventually, they exploded, and now Kuvira might be lost to the Dark Side forever.

_ Is that what could happen to me if I keep trying to avoid accepting what I feel for Asami? It certainly hasn’t worked so far. _

“I guess I’ve never really heard any perspectives other than the Jedi’s and the Sith’s,” she finally said. “You might be right.”

“Of course. Now, are we going to train, or do you want to stand there asking me more stupid questions?”

“Train.” Korra had a lot to think about, and a big decision to make, but if she didn’t figure out how to defeat Vaatu, it probably wouldn’t matter what she chose.

***

The ‘cells’ that Varrick the Hutt had so generously provided for them were right next to a boiler room. Asami could’ve figured that out thanks to the sweltering heat making sweat running down the middle of her back, but the smell of burning fuel and the loud clanging of an old engine from somewhere nearby were clear enough on their own. The temperature was unbearable enough that she stripped off her coat and outer shirt, sprawling on the concrete floor to soak in what little coolness there was. A little dirt was the least of her worries now.

“This is awful,” Bolin complained from a few feet away. He too had removed his shirt and was lying on the floor, staring up at the ceiling with a trembling lower lip and wide, fearful eyes. “No one even knows we’re here! If they figure out we’re missing, they won’t know where to look.”

“Have a bit more faith in Chief Beifong and the police department, Bolin,” Mako said. He had chosen to keep his shirt on, but he had folded his trademark scarf beneath his head for some cushioning and leaned back against one of the walls. “The first place she’ll go looking for us when I don’t report in is the Sato Mansion. She’ll see the signs of a struggle and send her officers out to find us.”

Asami sighed. “I’m afraid I have to agree with Bolin. Chief Beifong will notice we’re missing soon, but the Coruscant Police haven’t found Varrick so far. Why would this time be any different?”

“Because you’re here,” Mako said. “Bolin and I are somewhat expendable, but you own a multi-billion credit company. Plus, you might be the only one who can figure out what weapon your father is building for Vaatu.”

Asami’s heart sank even further. Their situation was bad enough without remembering all the problems waiting for them outside Varrick’s base.  _ I wish Korra was here, _ she thought for what had to be the hundredth time. Korra wouldn’t surrender to despair. She would find a way out of this…  _ But Korra’s gone, and we can’t assume anyone’s coming for us. We have to figure this out on our own. _

Before she could set her mind to work on a plan, the large door opened. Two guards stepped in, both wearing armor and carrying weapons. They didn’t draw them, however, much to Asami’s relief. She sat up and put her shirt back on, ignoring the way they leered at her as she did.

“Food,” one guard said, dropping a tray on the ground and nudging it toward her with his boot. “Gotta keep our golden goose fed.”

Asami wrinkled her nose in disgust, but she picked up the tray and set it on her lap.

“What about us?” Bolin asked.

“Varrick doesn’t really care what happens to you,” the second guard said. “You should have paid him when you had the chance.”

He turned to leave, but before his companion could follow, Bolin rolled onto his knees and stretched out his hand. “Wait! If you sneak me another tray of food, I’ll tell you a joke.”

“Idiot,” the second guard grumbled. He proceeded to open the door again, but the first guard slugged his shoulder.

“No, wait. I wanna hear the joke.”

The second guard rolled his eyes. “Why? If this guy was any good, he would have made enough money as a performer to pay off Varrick.”

“I’m  _ very _ good,” Bolin said, grinning widely. “I just have a weakness for, uh, investments…”

The first guard nodded his head. “Go on, then. Tell us a joke.”

Asami’s brow furrowed. Even for Bolin, this was unusual behavior. She watched in confusion as he launched into his first joke.

“What do you call five Sith piled on top of a lightsaber?”

“What do you call five Sith piled on top of a lightsaber?” the first guard repeated while the second rolled his eyes.

“A Sith-kabob. Get it?”

The first guard burst out laughing but the second one only snorted. “That’s the dumbest thing I’ve ever heard.”

“Oh come on, it’s kind of funny,” the first guard protested. “I mean, because they’re Sith and they’re the ones who usually have lightsabers, but now they’re skewered on them…”

“If you have to explain it, then it’s a bad joke,” the second guard insisted. “And anyway, I’m not giving that idiot any food regardless.”

“Hey!” Bolin threw up his arms, gesticulating furiously in the direction of the first guard. “I did my best. It’s not my fault he’s got no sense of humor. I’m starving here. Give me some bread at least. Or soup. Anything.”

“I’ll tell you what,” the first guard replied. “I’ll let you take one more shot. If you can come up with a joke that makes Mr Tight-Ass here laugh the next time we come in, I’ll see what I can scrounge up for you.”

“Oh, thank you, thank you, thank you…” Bolin threw his arms around the guard, as Asami shook her head. She’d heard of people in captivity becoming dependant on their jailers, but this was too much, especially since they’d only been here for a few hours.

The second guard seemed to agree, as he yanked Bolin off of his partner and shoved him down against the wall. “Come on,” he told the other guard. “We’ve already wasted too much time on this idiot. If we’re not back at our posts soon, the boss will have our heads.”

“Varrick doesn’t even know we’re alive,” the first guard protested.

“Yeah, but Zh5-L1 will notice, and when she tells him, we’ll be cleaning out toilets for a week.”

The first guard sighed and they pair turned around, stomping out of the cell. The door closed behind them with a harsh clang, and Asami exhaled sharply. “What  _ was  _ that, Bolin? I mean, if you’re really that hungry, you know I would’ve shared some of my food with you.”

All of a sudden, Bolin’s face changed, a broad grin appearing there. “Yeah, but then those guards wouldn’t have had all their attention focused on me.”

“And I wouldn’t have had the chance to grab this.” Even as Mako spoke, Asami realized she hadn’t really noticed him for the last minute or so, Bolin and the guards absorbing all of her attention.  _ Which was the point, I bet. _ Though she’d only known Mako as a detective, he and his brother had grown up on the streets. This was clearly an old con, one they’d practiced together. Mako held up a small, square device with a screen and several buttons on one side of its metallic surface. “I’m not totally sure what this is, but it was on one of the guard’s belts. I figured you might be able to do something useful with it.”

Asami’s eyes lit up as she took the small pad from Mako, turning it over in her hands as she examined it.

“Well?” Bolin asked hopefully. “Is is a communicator? Please tell me it’s a communicator.”

“Not quite. It’s a data pad,” Asami replied, but before his face could fall too far, she added, “But that doesn’t mean it’s useless. It has an external port for interfacing with other computer systems that I should be able to modify to transmit a message out of here.”

“I’m not sure how much that helps us,” Mako said. “We still don’t know where we are, and as you pointed out, Chief Beifong hasn’t had much success in finding Varrick.”

“That’s why I’m not going to send the message to her,” Asami told him. “Somehow, I think a Jedi may better luck.”


	21. Chapter 21

Korra tried to quiet her breathing as she crept through the swamp, slinking around the trees and low-hanging vines to conceal herself. Although Toph was blind, Korra knew she couldn’t underestimate her opponent. Toph had ways of seeing that, even after several days of training, Korra still didn’t fully understand. The more she learned, the more she realized she didn’t know.

As she waded through the mud, she tried to keep her heartbeat slow and her breathing steady. The more signals she gave off, the easier it would be for Toph to sense her. But being quiet and unnoticeable was only half the battle. She also needed to find Toph before Toph found her.

She poked her head out from behind a vine-choked tree, but her eyes were pretty much useless. She couldn’t see signs of the old Jedi Master anywhere. She listened as well, but her ears failed her too. There was no other choice. She needed to resort to other methods, even at the risk of Toph sensing her presence.

Korra closed her eyes again and reached out, tapping into the invisible network of the Force. Tenzin had instructed her on how to draw on the Force as a youngling, but this was different. While he had taught her to reach inward, toward the pool of strength that dwelled inside her, Toph had shown her how to focus on the web that bound together all living things. Touching those connections so deeply still left Korra a little breathless, but it was wonderful too. It made her feel more alive than she ever had, except maybe when Asami had kissed her…

She shook the thought off. She needed to focus if she was going to win. Toph had beaten her time and time again, and Korra was starting to get sick of it. She sent a vibration along the threads, then waited, struggling to remain patient.

At first, she only got a few false signals: some creatures swimming beneath the swamp’s muddy surface, the waterlogged roots of the trees, and a few birds flying overhead. Then, at last, she felt something more substantial. Toph was good at hiding herself, but Korra was improving. She turned left, wading through the water as quietly as she could.

Around the trunk of a nearby tree, she caught sight of what looked like a huddled figure. In the dim, murky light—Toph had insisted on practicing even in the evening so Korra wouldn’t be too reliant on her other senses—Korra could just make out the shape. She smirked, her muscles coiling as she prepared to jump.

The second she leapt into the air, something wet and foul-smelling splashed against the side of her face.

“Gah!”

Instead of jumping toward her target, she ended up tripping backwards, falling flat on her rear in the mud. Toph’s laughter echoed around her, and as she smeared the slimy water from her eyes, Korra realized the Jedi Master had been behind her all along.

“I told you,” Toph grunted, clicking her tongue in disapproval, “don’t use your eyes. They can trick you.”

“Then what was that over there?” Korra sighed, sniffing to clear her nose.

“A rock, genius. Better luck next time.”

Korra sighed. On closer inspection, she had been sneaking up on a rock—although in her defense, it was dark, and the rock was very Toph-shaped. “I’m never going to beat you, am I?”

Toph snorted. “Maybe if you had thirty years in a swamp to practice.”

Korra threw up her hands. “Well, I don’t. So how am I going to be ready to fight Vaatu in time?”

“Because he isn’t going to be hiding in a swamp.” Toph shook her head. “Why do you think we’re doing all of this, anyway?”

Korra’s brow furrowed. She hadn’t really considered the  _ why _ of this training; it had started with her asking how Toph could move around Dagobah so easily, and things just went from there. But now that she thought about it, Toph wasn’t the type to indulge in pointless diversions. If she had decided to teach Korra this technique, there must be a reason. “I’m not sure,” she admitted.

“You really aren’t any brighter than Aang was,” Toph said. “We’re doing this because Vaatu is made out of the Force.”

“Isn’t the Force in everything?” Korra asked.

“Sure, but with Force Constructs, there isn’t much else there. Once your senses are properly attuned, then anticipating their movements is easy. You might even be able to disrupt the energy that makes them tick.”

This sounded too good to be true. “That’s all there is to it?”

“Of course not. Do you ever listen to me? You also have to control your fear. They feed on that crap, so if you’re still shaking in your boots when you fight Vaatu, it’ll make him stronger.”

“Okay, sense the Force, control my fear… anything else?”

“I dunno. Maybe some Chosen One stuff, tap into your hidden strength or something. That part was Aang’s thing, but if Twinkle Toes can figure it out, you should be able to do the same. Meantime, you’re still stumbling around this place like a blind bantha, so let’s get back to work.”

Korra managed a half smile. She still wasn’t sure if she could do this, but at least she had a plan. And Toph was right; she wasn’t the first Chosen One to face these kinds of challenges. It was easy to think of Master Aang as an invincible legend, but it was good to remember that once, he’d been a young Jedi, struggling with his destiny like she was now.

“All right then. What’s next?”

“Hmm.” Toph’s face managed to become even more wrinkled than before. “Maybe since you’re so bad at finding me, this time you can…”

Before Toph could finish her sentence, she was cut off by a loud beep. For an instant, Korra forgot what that meant, but after a second beep, she pulled her flashing comm unit out the belt. She hesitated, not sure if she should take a call during training, but then Toph snapped, “What’re you waiting for? Answer it.”

“Are you sure?”

“I’m sure I don’t want to listen to that thing any longer than I have to. Besides, the sound would make it pretty hard for you to hide, and I don’t need the advantage.”

Korra opened up the comm unit, thankful that it had been built to handle worse than a few dunks in muddy water. The message ID showed that while the call had been retransmitted from the more powerful communicator on her ship, it had originated on Coruscant. Her first thought was Tenzin, but the frequency wasn’t one the Jedi usually used. Furthermore, it wasn’t an active conversation, just a pre-recorded message that she heard.

_ Korra, it’s Asami. Bolin, Mako, and I have been captured by Varrick the Hutt and we’re not sure where he took us. I know you’re busy with your training, but we need your help and… _ The message was interrupted by a loud noise, almost like a heavy metal door being slammed open.  _ Oh no. The guards… please, Korra, you’re our only hope. _

Korra’s blood ran cold as as the message ended. The contents were disturbing enough, but hearing the panic in Asami’s voice was terrifying—terrifying enough to remind her of facing down Vaatu. She remained frozen for several moments, heart hammering, unsure of what to do until Toph’s gruff voice broke the silence.

“Well, shit.”

Immediately, Korra snapped out of her trance. “I need to go save her,” she said, her face setting with determination. Her fear melted away, replaced with a blazing hot rage that she struggled to control. If someone had abducted Asami and her friends, she didn’t care who they were. They were going to pay dearly.

“Her?” Toph repeated, clearly skeptical.

“Them,” Korra corrected herself, still too agitated to be embarrassed. “I’m sorry, Master Toph, but I need to save my friends.”

Toph gave her a look. “Tenzin would say you’re wasting your time. This Varrick the Hutt is only a threat to this girl you’re gaga for. Vaatu and Kuvira are a menace to the entire galaxy as we know it.”

“I’m not wasting my time,” Korra growled, clenching her hands into fists. “And what do you mean, gaga?”

“I call ‘em like I see ‘em. And I didn’t say  _ I _ thought you were wasting time. I said Tenzin would say you’re wasting your time.”

Korra blinked in confusion. Honestly, she didn’t know how to start addressing the insanity Toph had just thrown at her. “Wait… so you don’t want me to stay here and keep training?”

“Fuck, no,” Toph said, blowing her long bangs away from her forehead with an annoyed puff of air. “The one thing you need more than training—and trust me, you could still use a lot of it—is something to fight for. You need  _ passion, _ Korra: the one weapon the Jedi are too afraid to use.”

Korra remained uncertain, but Toph stared straight into her eyes, speaking even more insistently. “Emotions are a path to the dark side, but only a path. You’re the one who chooses whether to walk down it or not. They can also be a path to the light side, depending on how you channel them. It’s all about finding balance. So, what are your feelings telling you right now?”

A smile spread across Korra’s face. “That I need to save Asami, Mako, and Bolin. And then, I need to kick Vaatu’s ass.”

Toph gave her a rare smile, chuckling in approval. “Then get your ass moving, Chosen One. Go save your girl, then save the galaxy.”

“She’s not my girl,” Korra protested. “But thank you, Master Toph—ugh!” She leaned in for a goodbye hug on instinct, only to get splashed in the face with another blast of filthy swamp water. She spluttered, wiping her mouth with her armband.

Toph just shook her head. “You wanna hug something, go hug a tree.”

Korra couldn’t help it. She started to laugh. “I’ll be back,” she said, turning away and hurrying back toward her ship.

“Yeah, yeah,” Toph grumbled. “Take your time. I came to live out in the swamp for a reason: almost no visitors here.” But the words had a certain friendliness to them that Korra could hear as she departed. Once she’d left Toph behind, she regained her focus. Asami, Mako, and Bolin needed her help. Somehow, some way, she needed to find out where that message had come from and track them down… and show Varrick the Hutt the business end of her lightsaber.

***

Opal opened her eyes before closing them once more, trying to reach the deep state of calm required for meditation. Mental clarity hadn’t come easily since what was left of the expeditionary force had arrived back on Coruscant. The walls of her small quarters in the Jedi Temple felt like a prison, penning her in when she needed to be out doing something, anything, to deal with the disaster that was unfolding.

But there was nothing she  _ could _ do. Tenzin had ordered the rest of the Jedi to stay at the temple while the Council figured out what their next move should be. That left Opal stuck in her room, trying to clear her mind. It wasn’t just the battle on on Corbos that was tormenting her either. There were other visions, scenes that kept floating through her mind.

Before she could take another stab at meditating, a knock on the door startled her. Eager for any distraction, she hopped to her feet and called out, “Come in.”

The door slid open to reveal Korra standing in the entranceway. On the surface, she’d looked better. Her hair was an unkempt mess, there were bags under her eyes, and a musty, damp odor clung to her whole body. And yet, there was also an energy around Korra that was entirely at odds with the beaten down, haggard Jedi who’d left for Dagobah. On her face was a thin smile, her expression friendly but determined beneath that.

“Hey, Opal. I just got back and I heard what happened on Corbos. Are you okay?”

Opal couldn’t resist hugging Korra as she came into her chambers, the way she smelled notwithstanding. “I am, but a lot of people didn’t make it. The bombs were hidden cleverly and we didn’t have time to evacuate everyone before they went off.”

Korra returned her hug, patting Opal on the back reassuringly. “I’m so sorry. But we don’t have time to mourn right now. The reason I’m back early from my training is because I got a message from Asami. She, Mako, and Bolin were captured by Varrick the Hutt.”

_ Varrick the Hutt!?  _ Opal shook her head in confusion. The name was familiar to her; he was a powerful crime boss on Coruscant, but his involvement didn’t make any sense.  “What he does he have to do with anything? Is he working for Kuvira?”

“No, it’s a whole other thing. Bolin owed him some money from a mover, and Varrick sent these bounty hunters to collect. I guess things escalated from there.”

Opal’s heart clenched. She was worried about all three of the kidnap victims, but in spite of herself, one person in particular lodged in her mind. She knew she shouldn’t have these feelings for Bolin, but there was just something about him that stayed with her. He was goofy, and fun, and good-hearted, and it made her sick to imagine him in the clutches of a vile gangster.

“I knew something was wrong. When I got back to the temple, I tried to call Asami to see if they’d made any progress on figuring out what weapon her dad was building, but there was no answer. I’ve been having these bad feelings about it ever since. Did Asami’s message tell you where they were?”

Korra shook her head. “No, she didn’t know. My computer was able to trace the call to a general region of Coruscant, but that’s still hundreds of square miles to cover. We don’t have that kind of time.”

“We don’t have time to sit around trying to figure out a solution, either.” Opal stepped away from Korra, grabbing her lightsaber and cloak. “We might as well look while we think. Does anyone else know about this?”

Korra frowned. “No, but if you think we should tell Tenzin…”

Opal considered it. She knew they should probably inform her master, but she could guess what his answer would probably be: Bolin, Asami, and Mako weren’t their priority, and they couldn’t spare any resources. In fact, he would probably chide her for being too emotional and, once he’d chewed Korra out for abandoning her training early, force them to help him put a stop to Vaatu before worrying about anything else.

“No. It has to be the two of us.”

She wasn’t surprised when Korra smirked. “I was hoping you’d say that.”

“So, you really have no idea where they are at all? There wasn’t anything else in Asami’s message?” Opal asked as they walked out into the hallway.

“It got interrupted halfway through. She didn’t have enough time to tell me any more.” Korra’s forehead furrowed and her eyes darkened with worry, a worry that felt all too familiar to Opal. Her fists clenched in anger and her voice lowered to a frustrated growl. “Ugh, I wish I’d had more time with Toph! She can do this thing where she reaches out and feels people’s energy over long distances. She could always find me in the swamp, no matter how well I hid.”

Opal blinked in surprise. “Wait, really? Because my Mom used to talk about doing something like that—communing with the Force as it connects us all. She always said Grandma Toph was way better at it than she was.”

“What about you?” Korra asked. “Have you ever tried it?”

Opal came to a stop as they arrived at one of the lifts. “A little, maybe? I’m not good at it either. And I was so worried before you came in that I could barely even meditate.”

Korra’s face fell. “That makes two of us.” Suddenly, her eyes brightened. “Wait, two of us. What if we both tried? Maybe we could reach further together?”

Opal blinked in confusion. “Together? The Force comes from within. Using it is a solitary thing.”

“It doesn’t have to be,” Korra insisted. “That’s what Toph taught me. The Force is inside us, but it also connects us. It permeates the whole galaxy, remember? It surrounds Asami and Bolin and Mako, and ties them to us.” She grasped Opal’s hand, clutching it tightly. “It’s worth a try, right? We don’t have any better plans.”

The lift arrived at the shuttle bay, and the two of them stepped out. At this hour, there were no other Jedi or padawans around. Most of them were probably in Tenzin’s meeting, figuring out how to deal with Vaatu and Kuvira.

Opal sighed. Korra was right. They had no other plan, and they couldn’t expect help either. They had nothing to lose. “Okay.” She kept hold of Korra’s hand and put aside everything else: her fear, her worry, her loneliness…

“No, don’t,” Korra said from beside her. “Lean into it. We need that to find them.”

Opal gave her a confused look, but she did as Korra had asked. She tapped into the knot of feelings in her chest, letting herself be sad and angry and afraid. She needed to find Bolin, needed to save him before something awful happened.

Beside her, she began to feel another presence—a powerful one. She had been able to sense the Force around Korra before, but this was different. It was like a flame that wouldn’t dim, and it illuminated everything, making the shadowy shuttle bay feel brighter.

Opal latched onto Korra like a lifeline, and together, the two of them reached as far as they could.

_ They were in a dark, dry place amidst the humming of engines. The smell of fuel was strong in the air, thick enough to make her lungs burn unpleasantly. There was the sound of footsteps as well, heavy boots on a thin, grated metal floor… _

_ Wait! There, in one of the corners. She could make out three figures sitting near each other, curled up on top of their jackets. One had on a familiar red scarf, one had long, tangled black hair, and the last figure… _

_ ‘Bolin! I see him!’ Her heart clenched. ‘He looks so tired. Is he sleeping, or…’ _

_‘Pull back,’_ _she told herself—or maybe it was Korra. As much as she wanted to look at Bolin’s face, she needed to figure out where he was being held._

_ She and Korra backed out of the room, dissolving beyond it and into the air. There was a large building below them belching smoke, with a Global Industries logo on it—Varrick’s front company, she thought she’d read somewhere. _

“I’ve got it!” She snapped back to reality to find Korra panting for breath beside her. “Did you see it too?”

“Yup.” Korra started streaking toward one of the shuttles.

“Wait, what are we going to do when we get there?” Opal asked, hot on her heels.

“Start by sneaking in,” Korra said. “If that doesn’t work… beat up as many bad guys as it takes to save our friends.”


	22. Chapter 22

The harsh scrape of metal grinding over stone jolted Asami awake. Not that she’d been sleeping well; the hard floor of the makeshift cell she, Mako, and Bolin were being kept in wasn’t exactly a bed at the Coruscant Grand. She looked up, wiping the bleariness from her eyes to see a pair of guards standing in the entrance to the cell.

“Get up, you scum!” one of them growled. “Varrick wants to see you now.”

Unfortunately, neither of the men was the easily amused guard Bolin and Mako had scammed the data pad off of before. He and his partner had both vanished after the theft was discovered, replaced with new guards who seemed only capable of communicating via a mixture of threats and orders.

Asami and her friends staggered to their feet, allowing one guard to place binders around their wrists while the other kept his gun trained on them. She watched carefully for any opening, but there was none to be found. Making a play for the guns and trying to escape seemed extremely foolish. Asami had to hope that Korra had received her message and was bringing help; getting shot before that could happen wasn’t a good idea.

As they were marched through the dingy corridors of the factory that served as Varrick’s headquarters, Bolin whispered, “What do you think he wants with us now?”

Mako shrugged. “I don’t know, but I’m betting it’s not good.”

One of the guards turned and glared at them with cruel brown eyes. “Shut up back there! No talking until you get to Varrick unless you want me to knock out a few teeth.”

Bolin looked as if he wanted to protest, but Mako shot him a look and there was silence until they arrived at Varrick’s audience chamber. There was no party taking place there this time, just the massive Hutt, his droid assistant, and a number of additional guards all waiting for their arrival. Varrick’s mood seemed less festive now as well, his beady eyes narrowing as they entered the room.

“So, can we talk now?” Bolin asked the guard, but before he could get an answer, Varrick cut in.

“It seems you were telling the truth,” he barked at Asami. “I had my people make some inquiries, and they tell me that your father really is a fugitive from the Coruscant police. That means that not only can I not get him to pay a ransom for you, I was wrong, which I really hate.”

“So if you’re not getting paid by Asami’s dad, does that mean you’ll let us go?” Bolin asked hopefully.

“No!” Varrick threw up his arms in frustration, sending a nearby guard staggering backwards. “For one thing, you still owe me… How much money does he still owe me, Zh5-L1?”

“With interest, the total is now nineteen thousand, one hundred, and four credits, sir.”

“Nineteen thousand, one hundred, and four credits. And just because I can’t get Hiroshi Sato to pay me for his daughter doesn’t mean I’m going to let her just walk out the door.  That wouldn’t be very smart, now would it?”

“No, sir. Not smart at all.”

“Look,” Asami said, trying to conceal her growing panic, “my previous offer still stands. I’d be happy to pay Bolin’s debts to you, with interest, as well as a bonus to compensate you for all this inconvenience. And if you’re worried about us sending the police after you once we’re free, don’t. As you might have noticed, they’ve got bigger problems to deal with right now.”

Varrick laughed. It was a deep, resonant sound typical of most Hutts, but somehow it also held the irritating, insistent whine of a squeaky gear in it. Asami hadn’t known someone could make such an unpleasant noise. “I’m going to have your credits either way, Miss Sato. And I only need to let you and your friends live long enough for you to transfer them to me.”

A hole appeared in the pit of Asami’s stomach. Her chances for negotiation were slipping away. From the wicked gleam in Varrick’s tiny eyes, she could tell what he was thinking: who better to grant him access to Future Industries’ accounts than the woman who was now its acting CEO? He could easily torture the information out of her. Asami liked to think she was somewhat brave, and she knew how to fight, but she’d never been tested while holding up against that kind of physical pain before.

“You have a choice,” Varrick said. “Meet my demands, and I will make your death and your friend’s—” He nodded at Mako, whose eyes were burning with protective anger; both for her and Bolin, Asami instinctively knew. “—quick and painless. You won’t feel a thing.”

“What about Bolin?” she asked, mostly stalling for time.

Varrick sighed, sounding almost like an old starship groaning while breaking the atmosphere. His fat rolls jiggled repulsively. “I’m afraid Bolin’s fate is the same either way. He didn’t pay his debts. I need to make an example of him.”

“It’s all a misunderstanding,” Bolin said, but a cuff from the guard made him quiet. Asami noticed Mako’s fists clench, but with his hands trapped, there wasn’t much he could do except burn silently with anger.

“No deal,” Asami said, with more courage than she felt.

“This isn’t a deal,” Varrick replied. “I’ve been exceedingly generous to give you an option at all. Now…” He nodded to Zh5-L1, who stepped aside to reveal a glowing terminal. “Show my assistant what she needs to know so you can transfer your liquid assets to me. We have plenty of time, since no one knows where you are. But if I think you’re stalling, or if you’re stupid enough to lie…” His eyes drifted toward Bolin. “I can find ways to speed you up.”

Asami swallowed. There was no choice. She approached the platform, dragging her feet until the guards landed a push to the middle of her back. Stumbling, she somehow managed to right herself even without the use of her hands and make it up the stairs.

“Can I at least get these off?” she asked. “I need my hands.”

Varrick nodded, and the guards removed the cuffs. Asami tried to look for a move she could make, but there was none. Several blasters were still pointed straight at her head, and worse still, Bolin was in the guards’ grip. If she tried to fight her way to freedom, he’d pay the price.

_ Oh, Korra, where are you? We could really use a rescue right about now… _

***

“You sure this is the place?” Opal asked, staring up at the dimly lit warehouse and its adjoining factory.

“I think so.” Korra studied the building as best she could in the dark. It was a large, older looking pair of connected buildings with an outer shell that had seen better days. The domed roofs were nondescript and there wasn’t much in the way of windows either. The place probably wasn’t in use because it was a fire hazard waiting to happen, and had few visible exits. Even without Asami’s expertise, Korra could sense the badly-designed building was a death trap one leak away from being completely useless.

Somehow, she had expected something flashier for a criminal of Varrick’s supposed status. But maybe that was the point? It was a misdirection. The police, who knew about Varrick’s preference for luxury, probably wouldn’t look in a place like this, where usually only small-time gangs like the Triple Threats made nuisances of themselves. The local cops probably couldn’t see the forest for the trees.

Korra inhaled. Overtop the briny smell of the sea and the whiff of decomposing trash drifting in from the less-than-reputable marketplace a few streets over, she could pick out the scent of industrial fumes. The factory was on the very edge of the poorer part of a manufacturing district. “Definitely smells familiar.”

“You caught that too, huh?”

Korra didn’t respond. More than the smell, she  _ sensed _ Asami was nearby. She could feel her friend’s presence calling out to her, almost as if it was trying to reach her. It was exactly the kind of pull Toph had talked about on Dagobah.

“Come on,” Korra said, nodding to her right. “You go that way, Opal. I’ll go the other. We’ll circle around and scout for the best entry points. And if you run into any guards…”

Opal gave her a dark, determined grin. “I won’t give them time to give the others a warning. We want this mission to be as quick and quiet as possible.”

“Right. Varrick could take our friends somewhere else, or try to use them as hostages before we can rescue them.” She regretted giving voice to the thought. The idea of Asami, Mako, and Bolin being kidnapped by a gang was bad enough. She didn’t want to put them in even more danger while trying to save them.

“We’re  _ not _ gonna let that happen.”

Korra shook her head grimly. “No way. This ends now.”

Opal dashed off around a corner, leaving Korra to begin her own infiltration. The question was where. Varrick was sure to have posted guards on the doors, and probably had cameras there too. No matter how quickly and quietly she took the former out, the latter would give her away, putting Asami and the others in danger.

_ Of course, Jedi can make their own doors. _

Closing her eyes, Korra reached out with the Force, feeling for the concentrated energy that indicated sentient life. There was plenty of it inside, making it hard for her to pick out their exact locations, but after a minute, she found a location on the other side of the wall that seemed to be empty.

She jogged over to the spot and pulled out her lightsaber, plunging it into the wall. The metal was thick, but the glowing blue blade sliced through it as easily as rotting wood. Soon, she had carved out a vaguely Korra-shaped outline, and a tug of the Force let her lower the section of the wall quietly to the ground.

The interior of the factory was lit only by a flickering bulb further down the hallway Korra had revealed. Even that limited illumination was enough to let her see the dingy condition of Varrick’s base. The floors were covered in dust and stained with Force knew what, while lengths of rusty pipe jutted out here and there.

_ I suppose a Hutt probably doesn’t spend much time walking around the maintenance corridors. _

Korra crept inside, moving slowly but with purpose. She could still sense Asami’s presence deep inside the factory, and though it wasn’t easy given the twisting turns, she did her best to keep heading in that general direction. As she walked the halls, she tried to remember everything Toph had taught her about silence. She doubted she was being as quiet as the old Master, but judging by the lack of echoes, she thought she was doing a decent job.

It was good enough that she heard the guards before they heard her. There were two sets of footsteps coming from around a corner, soon followed by a man’s frustrated voice. “I mean, I know it’s expensive, but she could at least hear me out. But no, it’s all ‘we need to renovate the bathroom before we can even think about a new speeder.’ Am I crazy or is she…”

Korra didn’t give him the chance to finish the thought. She darted around the corner, and before the two guards realized she was there, a Force push sent one of them crashing hard into a wall. The second whirled to face her, but he was off-balance. A jab of her open hand to his exposed throat made him clutch at it instead of striking. A kick to the torso left him doubled over and a powerful punch finished the job.

The other guard was picking himself up, but before he could get his bearings, Korra pounced. Her knee drove him back into the wall, and an armbar pinned him there.

“Where are the prisoners?” she snarled.

“What prisoners?” the guard stammered, his eyes widening with shock he hadn’t had time to process.

“Asami Sato. Her friends. I’m not asking again.”

The guard swallowed hard. “They’re with Varrick in his audience chamber.” He pointed down a corridor as best he could with Korra’s arm keeping his in place. “It’s that way, one floor up and past the mess hall. But you’ll never....”

A blow to the head dropped him to ground, unconscious. Korra wasn’t interested in being told the odds; now that she knew where Asami was, nothing was going to stop her.

***

Asami tried to prevent her hands from shaking as she worked the terminal’s interface system, but she didn’t have much luck. Her martial arts training had taught her to clear her mind and focus her body, but the fear within her was becoming too strong to fight back against. The nose of a blaster was still pointed at Bolin’s head. Mako burned with the quiet fury of helplessness. And as soon as she finished the job Varrick had instructed her to do, they’d all be dead.

_ Korra will come, _ Asami told herself.  _ I know she will. _ But even though her heart believed that, it was also pounding with fear. Varrick was right behind her, the smell of his slimy, unwashed skin cloying in the worst way. The droid, Zh5-L1, was also watching her from only a meter away.

“Sir, based on all observable data, I estimate that Miss Sato is only working at fifty-two percent of her normal speed. Her pacing is erratic.”

Varrick let out a low, burbling rumble of anger, and a shiver raced down Asami’s spine. “I thought we discussed this already, Miss Sato.” He turned his massive head toward Bolin, Mako, and the guards. “The slower you are, the more painful your friends’ deaths will be.”

At Varrick’s nod, one of the guards withdrew what looked like a taser from his belt. He set it against Bolin’s back, and Bolin’s eyes went wide with terror.

“Wait! I’m sorry. I’ll get it done. There are hundreds of accounts…”

Asami started working faster. In truth, there was another reason she had been going slowly: she couldn’t risk contacting Chief Beifong directly with both Varrick and Zh5-L1 watching her every move, but she could leave a trail behind. The Coruscant Police Force would be receiving a  _ very _ generous donation today from Future Industries’ coffers.

_ And if somebody in accounting doesn’t notice right away and try to track the origin of the transaction, at least Lin will have a place to start when she’s trying to solve our murders. _

It wasn’t the best plan. It wasn’t even a good plan. But she didn’t have anything else. All of her hope had rested on that comm unit, and on Korra…

The heavy double doors of Varrick’s audience chamber slammed open. Asami startled, whirling around instinctively, but as soon as she caught sight of the furious, broad-shouldered figure storming toward her, the spike of panic melted into utter relief.

_ Korra! _

Korra had come for her. Despite the odds, her message had gotten through and Korra had found them.

Bolin was equally excited. “Korra!” he yelled, his face breaking into a huge grin. Even Mako seemed about to smile, although that passed quickly as he tensed his lithe body, preparing for a fight even while under guard.

The mercenaries seemed surprised, and perhaps a little intimidated. The ones that weren’t aiming at Mako and Bolin pointed their blasters at Korra, but they seemed unsure of themselves. One or two glanced back at Varrick, waiting for the order to shoot or attempt to take the intruder prisoner.

Varrick, meanwhile, did not seem afraid or even surprised—or if he was, it didn’t show on his flat face. Instead, he chuckled, a raspy hooting sound. “So, this is the famous Chosen One. You don’t look very impressive.”

It was somewhat true. In her excitement, Asami hadn’t noticed Korra’s appearance before, but even from a distance, she could see that her friend’s clothes were torn and dirty with dried mud. It looked as though she had rushed straight from Dagobah to save them without stopping for an instant.

“Neither do you,” Korra said. Bolin let out a sharp bark of laughter, then a slight whimper as a blaster jabbed into his neck. Korra’s eyes flashed as she looked at him, then at Mako, and finally at her. Angry spikes of lightning flashed in them, and even though she didn’t bother to shout, her voice boomed like thunder, rolling through the huge room. “Let my friends go, Varrick. I’m only going to ask you once.”

Varrick laughed again, with a few of the guards nervously echoing him. “Perhaps your other opponents have been weak, but your Jedi mind tricks don’t work on me.”

“No tricks,” Korra said. “Just a promise. Let them go, or I’ll make you do it. You don’t want me to make you.”


	23. Chapter 23

The seconds ticked by with agonizing slowness as Korra waited for Varrick to reply.  She knew she should keep both eyes on him. The intentions of Hutts were notoriously difficult to predict with the Force, and she had to be ready in case he decided to do things the hard way. Even so, Korra couldn’t keep from sneaking a glance at Asami. She, by contrast, was easy to read. Relief and joy rolled off of her in waves, and even though they were mixed in with nervousness, Korra’s heart still soared.

Before her mind could drift any further in that direction, her pleasant thoughts were cut off by the repulsive sound of Varrick’s laughter. “Considering the odds, I think you’re going to have to show me, Jedi.”

“If you say so.”

There were two guards standing behind Asami, and Korra went for them so fast that they didn’t have a chance to process that the battle had started before she was on them. Her lightsaber flashed into her hand and its blade sliced clean through the first one’s plasteel armor. He tumbled backwards into the second man, knocking him off-balance, and before he could adjust his aim, Korra caught him high in the shoulder, taking off the entire arm in a single stroke.

“Kill her!” Varrick’s voice boomed through the audience chamber. “And kill those other useless twits too!”

It might have seemed to him that Korra had left Mako and Bolin vulnerable to just such a move, but with her enhanced senses, she knew something Varrick didn’t: she wasn’t the only Jedi present.

Before the guards could carry out their boss’ order, Opal descended from her hiding place in a vent high along the wall, landing directly behind Bolin. The guard holding the shock stick to his back whirled to face her, but not nearly fast enough. Her lightsaber sliced through his midsection as he turned, and he fell over, freeing her to worry about Mako.

Korra could sense the guard who’d been pointing a pistol at his back preparing to shoot, and for an instant, she feared Opal wouldn’t be fast enough. Mako, though, was ready with a move of his own. Hurling himself backward, his head smashed into the guard’s nose, sending both of them crashing to the ground in a heap. The gun slipped from his hand and landed a couple of feet away. He reached out for it, but before his fingers could close around the barrel, a flick of the Force from Opal sent it skidding harmlessly across the room.

“Thanks for—” Mako began, but Opal was already back at Bolin’s side, shoving a blaster in his hand and taking up a protective position in front of him. There was fire in her eyes, and Korra could tell that Opal wasn’t about to let anyone get near Bolin.

By that point, the rest of the guards seemed to simultaneously decide they’d rather worry about the two Jedi carving a path through their ranks then spend their time trying to murder unarmed prisoners. A group of them swivelled their blasters toward Korra and she yelled, “Get behind me!” to Asami as they prepared to fire.

A volley of energy bolts flew at her, but Korra felt no fear. She was more in-tune with the Force than she could remember being, and her saber moved effortlessly to parry the shots, directing some back at the guards while others impacted harmlessly against the walls.

Asami had taken cover when the shooting started, but she wasn’t cowering there. She picked up a blaster belonging to one of the fallen guards, using it to return fire. Shielded by Korra, she proved to be a dangerous shot, picking off two more of the guards to go with the two Korra had deflected blaster bolts into.

“You couldn’t have gotten here any sooner?” Asami called out, catching Korra’s eye above her lightsaber.

Korra laughed in bewilderment. Asami was actually teasing her in the middle of a firefight. Apparently, her mere presence was enough to make the engineer forget about her near-death experience…

Which still wasn’t over, Korra remembered, as one of the guards decided to try his luck at closer range. He launched himself at her from the side, shock stick in hand, trying to sweep for her legs. She twirled, the blade of her saber carving backwards through the air and cutting into the man’s chestplate. He fell, his armor smoking.

“Dagobah is kind of far,” she grunted, deflecting another hail of blaster pulses. “What matters is I got here in time.”

“Any backup?” Mako yelled. He had taken up a position to the side of Varrick’s platform, using a chair to shield himself. Another guard turned at the sound of his voice, and Mako dispatched him with a quick, efficient shot to his helmet.

“I am the backup,” Opal called out. She was fending off three mercenaries at once, sending their shots ricocheting toward the walls with hissing pops.

“You didn’t bring the police?”

Korra grunted as she sent a guard creeping up behind her sprawling with a spinning kick to his face. “Time was sort of an issue, Mako!”

“Don’t worry,” Bolin said. He was crouched behind an overturned table, from where he seemed hesitant to shoot—probably because the nearest mercenaries were also in close proximity to Opal, and she was moving too fast for someone without Jedi senses to follow. “I’m sure we can handle this…”

A blaring alarm sounded, echoing through the room. Doors opened from all sides, and reinforcements began pouring in, blasters raised and boots stomping across the floor.

“… ourselves. Darn, I jinxed us.”

Korra whipped her head around, calculating the danger. There were at least thirty mercenaries total now, and Varrick’s base was pretty big. More could be on the way. Not impossible odds, but not favorable ones, either.

“Finish this,” Varrick sputtered to the new arrivals, gesturing straight at her. “Kill the Jedi!”

Korra threw herself into the fray once more. The reinforcements were smart enough to try and hit her from a distance, but she was too fast. She leapt at the nearest group, lightsaber whistling through the air. Two went down right away, one with a score in his side, the other with a bloody nose from her saber’s handle. A third merc fired at her, but Korra dodged, and Asami managed to pop up and clip him before he could try again.

Korra glanced sideways just long enough to make sure Opal was holding her own. The padawan didn’t seem to be having any trouble cutting through Varrick’s soldiers, although it helped that Mako was making it difficult for them to get near her. Korra’s confidence swelled. She sent another merc flying with a push of her hand, watching him tumble over a chair.

Amid the screams and blaster shots, Varrick’s voice carried across the room. “Enough! Zh5-L1, do the thing!”

_ Do the thing? _

Korra might have been confused, but the droid seemed to know exactly what her master meant. She reached behind Varrick’s throne and pulled out what had to be one of the largest blaster rifles Korra had ever seen. It was easily 5 feet long, with several barrels at the end to allow for more rapid fire. It looked absurdly big in the hands of the slight droid, but clearly her chassis had been reinforced, because she had no trouble hoisting it up.

“Duck!” Bolin yelled, as if they needed the warning.

Korra dove behind a piece of disused machinery as it rapidly became clear why Varrick hadn’t deployed this weapon until the battle turned against the rest of his forces. Its destructive power was matched only by its lack of precision, and as soon as Zh5-L1 opened fire,  heavy blaster bolts begin tearing through everything in sight. Two of the mercenaries near Korra were struck down in seconds, while the rest scrambled to find cover of their own. Korra’s lightsaber managed to keep her from taking any direct hits, but one of the deflected bolts struck the nearby machine; the explosion it generated enough to send her staggering backwards.

Opal charged Zh5-L1 but the droid’s reaction speed was surprising. Before Opal could reach her, she swivelled and another barrage of heavy bolts forced a retreat. Opal dove behind the table Bolin had been using for shelter, while Mako popped up and fired a shot at Zh5-L1. Even though his bolt struck home, the spray of sparks that flew off of her shoulder weren’t enough to stop her. The heavy blaster was turned on Mako, and he barely got back into cover before everything around him was shredded by fresh fire.

A couple of the guards had regrouped sufficiently by then to mount another attack on Korra. One of them lunged at her with a vibro-blade, and she was barely recovered enough from the shock of the explosion to twist out of the way. She brought the butt of her lightsaber down on his head, and he crumpled to the ground just in time for her to use the blade to block the shots coming from the other guard.

Unfortunately, that left her flank exposed just as Zh5-Li decided to pivot back toward her. Korra spun rapidly, trying to keep up with the shots coming from both directions, but suddenly, a new sound grabbed everyone’s attention.

Varrick’s strange, nasally yet deep voice had been disturbing enough when he was yelling, but the sound he made now, somewhere between a scream and a groan, was still more revolting. Korra’s eyes widened as she watched the Hutt’s immense bulk lurch forward and then crash off of his throne entirely, revealing a hole in his back and  Asami standing behind him, blaster in hand.

“Sir?” Zh5-L1 said in a voice that sounded almost human in its distress. “Sir?”

There was no reply, and the droid swivelled her gun toward Asami, intent on avenging her master’s death. Asami started to duck, but she was too exposed to have a chance.  Korra had to do something, and though Zh5-L1’s armor had proven too strong for a blaster shot, Korra suspected a lightsaber might be a different story. Not thinking of her own defenses, she hurled the blade through the air, guiding it with the Force.

An instant before Zh5-L1 could fire, the lightsaber struck, slicing through the thick plating of the droid’s torso. The massive blaster crashed to the ground while Zh5-L1 managed to lurch two steps towards Varrick’s fallen body before doing the same.

Asami didn’t waste time. While everyone else was still absorbing what had happened, she leapt on Varrick’s throne and yelled, “Your boss is dead! Nobody’s going to pay you, so you can either get yourselves killed fighting two Jedi or escape with your lives.”

The majority of the guards looked at Asami, panting from her perch on Varrick’s throne with blaster at the ready, and then at Korra, who summoned her lightsaber back with a flick of her hand. The moment she caught it, they seemed to make a collective decision. They ran from the room in all directions, moving humorously fast considering their heavy armor.

Once they were gone, Bolin stood up from behind the remains of his table and started laughing. Opal joined in next, then Asami, and finally even ‘serious detective’ Mako, rushing to give his brother a hug. Opal got there a second later, and Bolin flung his arms around them both, squeezing much too tight. “That was awesome, guys! We did it!”

“You did it, Opal,” Mako rasped despite the beefy arm around his neck. “Thanks for looking out for Bolin. I owe you.”

Instead of a cheerful retort, Opal’s dark skin took on a distinct pinkish undertone. “Well, you know… any time.”

Korra only paid the barest attention to their conversation. She hurried over to Varrick’s platform before the trio could include her in their celebration, her thoughts focused on one thing and one thing only. “Asami, are you okay?” When she arrived at the throne, she extended her hand to help Asami step down.

Her heart skipped a beat when Asami didn’t let go of her hand right away. “I’m fine. What about you, Korra? You were really in the thick of it there.”

Korra cleared her throat, rubbing the back of her neck with her other hand. “It was nothing,” she mumbled, her face heating up. She should feel guilty, she knew—during most of the mission, she hadn’t been thinking about the Force, or inner tranquility, or any of the proper things. She’d been driven by pure emotion, the desperate need to make sure Asami didn’t get hurt.

But she didn’t feel guilty about it. It had actually felt… okay? And holding Asami’s hand, looking into her grateful green eyes, felt okay too. Better than okay. Her fear melted into heady relief as she clutched Asami’s palm in hers.

_ Maybe Toph was right. Maybe erasing all my feelings isn’t the only way to fight like a Jedi. I did pretty good there. _

Then even those thoughts were forgotten as Asami leaned in, pulling her into a warm embrace. “Thank you, Korra. Somehow, I knew you’d come back and save me.”

Korra was so distracted by the way Asami’s body fit against hers that she almost didn’t notice the ‘me’. When she did, her chest tingled. Yes, she absolutely would have rushed back to Coruscant to save Mako and Bolin too, but she couldn’t deny that Asami had been at the forefront of her mind since leaving Dagobah.

“You did a pretty good job saving yourself,” she chuckled next to Asami’s hair, soft strands tickling her cheek.

“Well,” Asami said, pulling back just far enough to look her in the eye, “in that case, thanks for being my backup. I knew I could depend on you.”

Korra grinned. “You bet.”

They stared at each other in silence for a moment, but the pause didn’t feel awkward. Korra felt at peace with Asami’s arms around her, and she would have been content to look at Asami’s grateful smile for far longer if Bolin hadn’t said, “Hey, uh, Asami? Korra? We should probably get out of here.”

Korra blinked, shaking off her unexpected daze. She glanced over at Varrick’s body, which still sat like an enormous lump on the floor. Bolin had a point. They probably didn’t want to be found in the middle of this, even if they did have a Coruscant police officer with them. Lin definitely wouldn’t be happy about the mess, considering how busy she was with the Vaatu situation.

Vaatu. A chill sank into Korra’s skin. In her rush to save her friends, she’d forgotten about that. The weight of duty came rushing back, along with a heavy dose of fear. Asami, Mako, and Bolin were fine for now, but that wouldn’t matter if the Sith made it to Coruscant. Then, no one would be safe.

Korra stepped back, leaving Asami’s arms and squaring her shoulders. “Right. Let’s get back to the temple. They’re going to need all hands on deck.”

Mako nodded. “I’ll radio Chief Beifong on the way and ask her to send in a cleanup crew.”

“Okay,” Korra said. “I’ll report back to Tenzin and see what his plans are.”

“No, you won’t,” Asami insisted, giving her arm a gentle squeeze. “Opal can report to Tenzin, because  _ you _ are going to take a shower. You kind of stink.”

Korra blushed. It was true that she hadn’t bothered to change since flying back to Coruscant, and her robes were stained with old swampwater. She was kind of shocked Asami had wanted to hug her at all. But when she glanced in Asami’s direction, what she found was concern more than anything else.

“Sure,” Opal said. “I can report to Tenzin. Korra does deserve a victory bath.”

“We haven’t won yet,” Korra said, but Opal just gestured at the guards lying on the floor.

“I’d call this winning.”

Asami nodded her agreement. “I can’t stop you from saving the galaxy, but you don’t have to do everything yourself. The rest of us can keep things moving for a little while.”

Korra sighed, conceding defeat. A bath did sound good. At the very least, it might melt some of the ice gnawing at her bones. Instead of burying that feeling, she tried to acknowledge and accept it, like Toph had told her. Fear was good. It meant she would be on her guard, and it was a reminder of everything—and everyone—she had to protect.

She stole one last glance at Asami before answering. “Okay, let’s go.”


	24. Chapter 24

Asami piloted the Varrick Global Industries shuttle she’d ‘borrowed’ in silence, sailing over the grounds of the Sato Estate. From above, everything looked normal: the wide green fields, the lake, the speeder course, and the mansion itself. Varrick’s mercs hadn’t left any major structural damage, at least not on the outside of the building. Asami allowed herself a quiet sigh of relief. She hadn’t been sure what she would find when she returned home—which was the reason she’d given Mako when he asked why she didn’t want to head for the Temple with him, Bolin, and Opal immediately.

The other reason was more personal. Asami didn’t like admitting it, but she needed a moment to breathe. Perhaps it was selfish while the fate of the galaxy hung in the balance, but after being held hostage for the past several days and then fighting for her life, she was utterly exhausted. She wanted to be in her own house, in her own room, even if it was only for a quick shower and a short nap. Her body and mind were both begging for a rest.

A soft, wheezing snore came from the copilot’s seat. Asami turned, smiling at her slumbering passenger. Apparently, she wasn’t the only one who needed rest. Korra had passed out a few minutes after takeoff and hadn’t stirred since. Mako hadn’t wanted Korra to delay her return to the temple either, but she’d been unwilling to let Asami check on the Sato Estate alone.

_ “She got kidnapped the last time she was there,” _ Korra had insisted, more than a little annoyed.  _ “I’m not making her go home by herself.” _

It was funny, Asami thought. Mako had often said similar things back when the two of them were an item. It had always gotten under her skin, although she’d ignored it more often than not simply to avoid conflict. But coming from Korra, it felt… comfortable. Mako truly meant well, but he would have said:  _ “I’m not letting her go home by herself.” _ Or, likelier still, he would have insisted she shouldn’t return home at all.

Korra had said:  _ “I’m not making her go home by herself.” _ The subtle difference was important. It was clear that, in Korra’s mind, Asami’s decision was final, and it was up to her whether she wanted Korra to come along or not.

And in this case, Asami was grateful Korra had come along. She’d feared it might be awkward, considering some of the last private moments they’d shared, but so far, it hadn’t been. It was  _ nice _ to have Korra beside her. When she looked over at her sleeping friend, she couldn’t help but feel hopeful about the battles to come. Vaatu and his forces were terrifying, but Korra was brave and determined. Asami knew without a doubt where she’d put her credits, special swamp training or no special swamp training.

She touched down on the landing pad beside the west wall, running one more security scan before killing the shuttle’s engines. According to her readings, they were alone. No more unpleasant surprises. She glanced over at Korra, fighting a smirk. The mighty Chosen One was tilted sideways, one cheek smushed against the window, hair all tangled and a hint of drool running from the side of her mouth. And that wasn’t even getting into the state her clothes were in.

Despite all that, Asami couldn’t help staring. Studying Korra’s face filled her chest with soft warmth, and she didn’t realize she was reaching out to brush aside a lock of hair until Korra’s fingers swept it away.

“Mm?” Korra blinked, her face wrinkling as she stifled a yawn.

“We’re here,” Asami said, hoping if she ignored the heat in her face, it would go away before it became too obvious. 

“Here?” Korra peered out the window, seeming to remember where they’d decided to go. She tensed and reached for her lightsaber, but Asami brushed her arm before she could draw the blade.

“Everything seems quiet. I don’t think we’re in danger.”

Korra relaxed a little. “Still glad I came. I bet you’ve got  _ nice _ bathrooms. The ones at the temple are… well, at least they get cleaned whenever the younglings get too rowdy.”

Asami chuckled. “An example of the Jedi vow to eschew worldly attachments?”

“I wouldn’t call it a  _ vow.  _ There’s a little wiggle room. _ ”  _ Korra gave her an uneven grin before opening the shuttle door and stepping out onto the landing pad.

Asami did the same, meeting Korra around the front. “I thought Jedi teachings didn’t have ‘wiggle room’?”

“Well… it’s complicated. Just like any other code, I guess.”

Korra’s voice trailed off, and the two of them seemed to agree the conversation should come to an end. They entered the mansion together, pausing only so Asami could deactivate the security system.

***

The inside of the mansion was in a worse state than the grounds, but it wasn’t a total loss either. Though numerous items of furniture had been overturned or broken downstairs, the upstairs as a whole hadn’t been too badly damaged. Her bedroom, at least, seemed the same, although there would be lot of cleaning up to do around her father’s former office once things settled down.

_ Assuming we’re still alive at that point. _

Being kidnapped had done an effective job of taking Asami’s mind off the larger threat, but now, Vaatu had resumed his place atop her list of priorities. Or, at least, he should have. Instead, images of Korra kept dancing through Asami’s head as she opened one of the hallway linen closets and retrieved two white bathrobes, as well as a fresh stack of towels. 

_ Towels, Korra wearing a towel, Korra dropping her towel onto the floor... _

Asami gave herself a subtle shake. Her overactive imagination was making it very hard to worry about Sith Lords or superweapons, and she couldn’t afford to waste time longing for a woman who was out of reach. She carried the bundle back into her bedroom, where Korra was already waiting.

“There should be soap and shampoo in the bathroom,” Asami said, offering one of the robes. “Extra towels too. Let me know if there’s anything else you need.”

“I should be fine,” Korra replied. Their fingers brushed slightly as she took the robe, but Korra didn’t seem to notice the contact, and Asami pretended she hadn’t either. “Honestly, I just want to get out of these clothes and clean off. I lost track of how many times I ended up in the mud during training.”

Asami laughed. “Me too. The cell Varrick kept us in might not have been a swamp, but it wasn’t sanitary either.”

“See? There are good reasons for extra bathrooms,” Korra said. “Otherwise we might’ve had to share a shower.”

Asami inhaled sharply. Korra’s eyes widened. There was a short, uneasy pause as she realized what she’d said.

Then, much to Asami’s relief, Korra broke the awkward silence with laughter. Asami joined in, unable to help herself, but also unable to ignore the fluttering in her belly. From the first day they’d met, something about Korra had captivated her, but Asami couldn’t dismiss this as a passing attraction any longer—a crush that couldn’t, and shouldn’t, go anywhere. It felt like… more. When she remembered their doomed kiss, when she thought about the way Korra had rushed to defend her from Varrick and his mercs, Asami’s certainty only grew.

_ You almost died today,  _ she reminded herself, trying one last time to reroute her train of thought.  _ That’s what’s making you feel different. Korra’s still a Jedi. She might share your feelings, but she can’t act on them. _

“That’s, um, probably for the best,” Asami mumbled. Neither of them were laughing anymore, and their eye contact suddenly felt too intense. “I’ll leave you to your shower.”

“Thanks,” Korra said, sounding as awkward as Asami felt. The Jedi turned and went into the bathroom, while Asami went to use the shower attached to the nearest guest room.

While she stripped out of her filthy clothes, Asami couldn’t keep from thinking that down the hall, Korra was doing the same thing. She’d already devoted far too much mental energy to considering what Korra might look like naked, but the knowledge that the Jedi really was undressing only a few meters away, in her own house, made the fantasy even more intense.  

Despite her best efforts, more embarrassing images filled Asami’s head—images of Korra standing beneath the shower head, arching into the spray as water ran down the toned landscape of her body. Asami turned the temperature a few notches colder before stepping into the shower, but the fantasy made her flush more than steam ever could.

She washed quickly and efficiently, fighting to ignore the familiar ache building between her legs. It didn’t matter that Korra was naked in her bedroom. It didn’t matter that Korra had kissed her, or rushed across the galaxy to rescue her, or accompanied her here just to make sure she stayed safe. Korra was a Jedi—and not just any Jedi. She was the Chosen One, destined to save the galaxy. Friendship was all they could ever have.

And yet, despite repeatedly running through the list of reasons in her head, Asami noticed her fingers sliding down her belly. It took an effort of will to halt them. She was torn. After the stress of the past few days, she could certainly use the relief...

Still, she made herself stop. The tension between her and Korra was already thick enough. If she indulged like this, it would only grow worse. She could nurse her own disappointment privately, without putting pressure on the woman she had grown to care for so deeply. Korra had plenty of other things to worry about.

With a regretful sigh, Asami drew her hand back.  _ Why does she have to be a Jedi? Why does she have to be so beautiful? _

Once she’d gotten the dirt and grime off, Asami didn’t linger with temptation. Instead, she toweled off and stepped into the robe she’d brought with her. Once her hair was combed back and all the important parts were appropriately covered, she returned to her room in search of clothes—which she should have thought to grab before in spite of her distracted state. With any luck, she could be in and out before Korra even finished her shower.

Her timing wasn’t as good as she’d hoped. Korra stepped out of the bathroom moments after she entered, dressed in the robe Asami had given her, toweling off her still-damp hair.

“Feeling better?” Asami asked, swallowing around the lump in her throat. It remained there even though she trained her eyes directly on Korra’s face.

Korra grinned. “Much. Toph was a really good teacher and all, but if I never set foot in a swamp again, it’ll be too soon.”

“So, you learned what you needed? Did Toph teach you a way to fight Force constructs?”

Korra’s smile fell away. “Well… mostly.”

Asami’s pleasant buzz of arousal faded too, and guilt crept in to take its place. “It’s because of me, isn’t it? Korra, I’m so sorry.  I’m the reason you had to leave Dagobah before you finished your training—me and Mako and Bolin, I mean…” she added, far too late.

“Hey…” Korra dropped the towel she’d been using, coming to stand at Asami’s side. “It wasn’t your idea to get kidnapped.”

“No, but—”

“I don’t regret saving you, Asami. I did what I thought was right. What my heart told me to do.”

It wasn’t just those intimate words, but the certainty and ease with which Korra spoke them, that made Asami tremble with confusion. The walls she had spent the last several minutes struggling to reinforce threatened to crumble the moment Korra’s hand brushed her’s. There was no hesitation in that gesture either. It was deliberate, and it frightened her far more than her own longing.

“Jedi aren’t supposed to think that way,” she murmured, more to herself than to Korra. She sank onto the edge of the bed, and Korra sat beside her. Neither of them moved away when they realized their thighs were touching.

“Maybe not,” Korra said. “But  _ I _ think that way. And I’m not sure stifling all emotion is the right path for me anymore.”

Asami turned toward Korra. Her mouth moved, but whatever words she’d meant to say died on her lips the moment their eyes met. Suddenly, she couldn’t breathe. Everything she wanted was inches away, but…

“You need to stop Vaatu, Korra. You’re the Chosen One, the only Jedi who stands a chance against him.”

“And I will,” Korra said. “But I tried fighting him like a Jedi, and I failed. Clearing your mind of everything but the Force might work for Tenzin and his other students, but not me. Not anymore.” She brought the tips of her fingers to Asami’s cheek, not quite touching her, but allowing them to hover there in hope. “Toph explained that sometimes… sometimes it’s better to have feelings to fight for.”

It took what felt like ages for Asami to form an answer. “You’re talking like a Sith, Korra.”

Korra’s blue eyes narrowed—not with anger, but with conviction. She didn’t move her hand. “No. The Sith use fear and anger and hate. There are other feelings.”

Asami knew she should protest. Though she wouldn’t claim to be an expert in Jedi philosophy, she should remind Korra that even positive emotions could later become a path to the Dark Side. But she simply didn’t have the strength. Though she had tried in vain to deny it, she had known this moment was coming. It was inevitable, as was the decision to take Korra’s hand in hers and place a kiss in the center of her callused palm.

“Then show me.”

When she heard those words, Korra’s confidence seemed to vanish. She looked up at Asami, doubt suddenly filling her blue eyes. “I want to. It’s just, I haven’t really, you know, done this before, and I’m not sure how.”

Asami smiled indulgently. She wasn’t surprised by Korra’s lack of experience, and it didn’t make her want to stop. Not now. Not when it seemed Korra wanted this as much as she did. “It’s okay. You know how to kiss me, right? Let’s start there.”

“Okay. I can do that.”

Korra took a deep breath before leaning in close. There was a moment’s hesitation before their lips met, but once they did, it was pure lightning. Their earlier kisses had been powerful, but also tinged with doubt and shame. Now, what they were doing felt entirely  _ right _ , more right than any kiss Asami had ever shared.

It began with soft lips brushing against each other, before gradually opening up. Korra’s tongue slid into her mouth, and Asami was surprised when she found herself moaning into the kiss already. Korra proved just as eager. One hand ran through Asami’s hair while the other wrapped around her back, pulling their bodies closer.

The heat of Korra’s mouth was too addictive to let go of easily, and Asami pulled back only when the need for air left her with no choice.  “Wow,” Korra panted. “That was amazing.  It was, right? I mean, I haven’t done this much before but it seemed like…”

Asami cut off her rambling with another kiss, this one brief but no less sweet for its shortness. “It was wonderful, Korra.” She brushed her hand across the Jedi’s forehead, tucking a strand of her wet hair back into place. “Trust me, I’d be happy to spend all day kissing you.”

“What if…” Korra hesitated, an adorable flush appearing on her cheeks. “What if I want to do more than just kiss?”

Asami had to suppress the shiver of desire that went straight between her legs at the suggestion. She wanted that too, more than anything, but she needed to be certain she wasn’t taking advantage. “Are you sure? You’re new to this. There’s no need to rush.”

Korra might have still been blushing, but her voice didn’t shake when she replied. “You’re right that this is new to me, but it’s what I want. I’ve been thinking about it for a long time, and if you’re willing to show me, I’m ready to learn.”

And there it was. Korra seemed sure, and if she was… “I’m more than willing,” Asami said, her voice low and husky.

The beaming smile that appeared on Korra’s face sent Asami’s heart soaring at the same time that her mind raced. There were so many things she wanted to do—and have Korra do—that it was hard to pick a place to start. 

Still, the simple things were often best. Asami leaned in for another kiss, and as this one started, she slid her fingertips along the vee of Korra’s robe. The newly clean skin was smooth to the touch even as Asami peeled back the robe to reveal more of it. She went slowly at first, but once the kiss ended, Korra proved too eager to wait any longer. The Jedi shrugged out of her robe far enough to reveal the curves of her upper body to Asami. 

Asami had been staring for several seconds before Korra cocked her head and asked, “Is something wrong?”

“Just admiring how beautiful you are.”

And she was. Korra’s body was somehow even more impressive than Asami had imagined it being.  Her frame was muscular but trim, with washboard abs, and full, high breasts topped by dark nipples.

Korra swallowed. “Do you… want to touch me?”.

The decidedly hopeful note in her voice snapped Asami out of her trance. She slid her hands down Korra’s sides, feeling the Jedi’s taut curves. Korra’s skin was still cool from the shower, but it warmed under Asami’s palms wherever she touched. And she was touching everywhere. From Korra’s sides, she moved on to her abdomen, feeling the tension in the powerful muscles. Korra gasped, her hands tangling in Asami’s hair.

“Oh, ‘Sami,” she muttered, her grip tightening when Asami’s fingers brushed over the bottoms of her breasts. “That feels  _ so _ good.”

“Just wait,” Asami purred. “It’ll get even better.”

Gently, Asami guided Korra down onto the bed before settling in on top of her. Now, her mouth replaced her hands. Her tongue slid along Korra’s shivering stomach, but she didn’t linger there. Above her, she could see the hard points of Korra’s nipples, practically begging to be kissed. Her tongue slid over the first one, drawing the most delightful moan out of Korra, and when Asami drew it between her lips, the sound deepened into a low groan.

Asami slid one hand up to cup Korra’s other breast. Korra’s back arched, pressing the soft flesh against her palm, and with two fingers, Asami tweaked the nipple. Korra whimpered, her hand running over the back of Asami’s head. The sound was incredible in it’s own right, but the fact that it was coming from Korra made it special. Right then, the powerful Jedi seemed entirely human, given over to a desire that was all for her.


	25. Chapter 25

Korra tangled her fingers in Asami’s hair, quivering as she tried to process what felt like a hundred different sensations. First there was Asami’s warm body on top of hers, soft in all the places Korra could feel beneath the thin white robe. Then there were Asami’s fingers, toying with the peak of Korra’s breast, skimming around its curve, leaving little lines of fire wherever they dragged. And Asami’s mouth, all wet heat and pressure, made stars float behind Korra’s eyes.

But that was only the physical. There was another layer, a deep yearning Korra couldn’t describe, along with a sense of finally coming home. When her heart called, Asami’s answered, and Korra could feel something swelling around them, a glowing warmth that left her gasping as Asami’s mouth traveled across her torso. Each movement was tender, as was the shining smile on Asami’s face whenever she looked up, checking to make sure her touches were welcome.

Korra tried to speak, to give voice to the well of emotion within her, but she could only groan as Asami’s mouth found her again. It lavished the tip of her breast with attention, but didn’t linger long. Asami seemed to want to study everything her lips could reach—not just Korra’s breasts, but her collarbone, her throat, the shape of her jaw, the spot behind her ear that was still wet from the shower.

“You’re beautiful, Korra,” Asami murmured, grazing Korra’s earlobe with a gentle tongue. “So, so beautiful.”

It was not a compliment Korra had received often. People usually told her she was brave, or strong, or a good fighter. Sometimes people tried to butter her up because she was the Chosen One and they wanted something. But few had ever called her beautiful before, and none with the utter sincerity in Asami’s low voice.

In that moment, Korra believed she  _ was _ beautiful. Not only her body, which Asami was soaking in with flattened hands and gently circling palms, but all of her. To Asami, she was beautiful—and it was incredible, because to Korra, Asami was the most beautiful woman in the galaxy.

“Please,” Korra murmured, shivering as Asami sucked a sensitive point in the hollow of her throat. She grasped Asami’s hands, twining their fingers together and guiding them to her legs. “I want you. I can’t wait anymore.”

Asami’s palms remained still on Korra’s thighs, just beneath the hem of her bunched robe. She took Korra’s mouth in another kiss, one that spoke of a deep, burning passion that would roar into a flame soon enough. “I won’t make you wait,” Asami promised against Korra’s lips, fingertips gliding upward inch by inch. “I just… want to know you.”

That knowing almost took longer than Korra could bear. Asami’s fingers dipped under her robe and peeled it open, exposing her lower half to the cool air of the room, but the upward trails always stopped short of the heat Korra could feel burning between her legs. Asami traced the same patterns again and again, deviating only slightly with each hitch of breath Korra released and every sigh that escaped between their kisses.

By the time Asami’s hand finally cupped the join of her thighs, Korra was soaked and quivering. She had touched herself a few times before, hidden beneath the safety of the covers, but it had been nothing like this. Her own fumbling attempts couldn’t compare to the desire she felt as she blossomed open beneath Asami’s fingers, hot and slick and sensitive, desperate for even the lightest graze her lover might give.

Asami’s first stroke wasn’t tentative, but it was slow, starting low along her slit and sliding higher, lighting up nerve endings Korra hadn’t even known she possessed. “Korra,” Asami mumbled, gazing down at her with eyes full of wonder. “You’re so warm…” Her fingers slipped forward, just a little bit, and Korra’s hips jerked on instinct. She tensed for a moment, wondering whether—or perhaps hoping—Asami would ease inside of her, but she was left slightly disappointed.

“Asami,” she pleaded. She wasn’t sure what she was begging for, but Asami seemed to know, because her fingers landed in a spot that made Korra’s muscles seize and white circles flash across her field of vision. It was almost intense enough to be painful, and she held her breath until the second stroke, when the over-stimulation melted into pleasure.

Touching her own clit was  _ nothing _ like having Asami touch her there. It couldn’t even compare. All the while, Asami kissed her, whispered to her, stroking Korra in steady circles that soon had her pelvis rocking within the soft press of Asami’s thighs.

Korra bit her lip to stifle her moans before realizing she didn’t have to. She wasn’t an apprentice in the temple, furtively exploring herself beneath the blankets, hoping no one would notice. This was so much better, and Korra could let herself enjoy every moment of it. 

She cried out, and the sound seemed to encourage Asami. The pressure against Korra’s clit increased, not much, but enough to make her clutch helplessly at Asami’s back. She had to be touching Asami, or she might go mad. Warmth was building within her,  all-consuming in a way that she had never felt before and needed somehow to share. 

But though it helped to clutch Asami’s shoulders, doing it through a robe wasn’t enough. It took every bit of willpower she could muster to speak, but somehow, she managed to mutter, “Wait, ‘Sami.”  Any more words she might have had caught in her throat, but when she tugged on the back of Asami’s bathrobe, her message got through.

Asami straightened, and though the loss of her fingers made Korra’s clit throb, it was a short-lived hurt. Asami slipped out of her robe, and Korra’s mouth went dry. She’d seen her share of naked women (and men, and aliens of all types) in the Jedi Temple’s communal showers, but not one of them could compare to Asami. Her willowy curves, full breasts, and flushed skin were all gorgeous. And yet all of them paled in comparison with her face. These deep green eyes, heavy with desire, that hungry eager smile, all for her… It was enough to make Korra quiver with need and yet feel fulfilled all at once.

“Is that better?” Asami asked.

Korra could only nod, her brain refusing to do anything but stare.

Asami didn’t seem to object. Her smile broadened as she slid back into Korra’s arms. This time, there was nothing to keep Korra’s hands from running across Asami’s smooth skin, learning every bit of her back and shoulders.

The brief absence of Asami’s touch only made its return more intense. Korra was twitching before Asami fingers even made contact, and when they slid over the swollen head of her clit, she had to squeeze her eyes shut to avoid being utterly overwhelmed. Electricity was coursing through her, starting at a single point, but reaching further with every stroke of Asami’s hand.

With her eyes closed, Korra couldn’t see Asami’s lips moving toward hers, but she felt their approach anyway. Her next cries were lost in the heat of their kiss, a long, passionate embrace that melted into the other pleasures she was feeling. Their bodies pressed together, and Korra’s fingers clutched at Asami’s back, holding them that way. Her hips bucked against Asami’s hand, seeking for still more, for every possible contact between them.

Asami noticed her desperation. She drew back inches from their kiss, her breath hot against Korra as she asked, “Do you want me inside you?”

“Yes,” Korra croaked. It wasn’t something she’d done much herself, but she hungered for it now, wanting to give Asami everything she had.

Her body tensed as two of Asami’s fingers slid down to press against her slit, but as soon as they began to enter her, first one, then the other, she opened up.  She was soaked, and though she felt herself stretching, the burn was pure pleasure.

The fingers now buried inside her curled, and Korra’s body jerked in her lover’s arms. “Oh, Korra,” Asami purred, and the way her voice lingered on the name sent fresh shivers running through Korra’s body. She was losing control, but the thought didn’t frighten her. Not anymore. She knew that when she fell, Asami would catch her. 

Asami’s thumb pushed up, catching the shaft of Korra’s clit, even while her fingers pressed against Korra’s front wall. The combined pressure was more than Korra could resist. Her nails dug in and her hips made a final, erratic push against Asami’s hand as the heat finally overtook her.

Korra’s climax was unlike anything she’d felt before. It reached every part of her, making her shake in Asami’s embrace with its overwhelming force. Asami had her, though. Her free hand stroked Korra’s hair, while her lips brushed against Korra’s ear, whispering sweet nothings. “There you go, Korra. That’s it. Enjoy this.”

The ripples between her legs were especially intense, but Korra felt as if she were being pulled apart in every direction at once. Asami’s lips were so warm and soft against her ear. The tickle of Asami’s loose hair on her shoulders sent shivers up and down her spine. The gentle brush of Asami’s nipples just above hers caused her skin to spark, and Asami’s wetness painting the top of her thigh—not quite grinding, but close—had Korra gasping with pleasure, at same time as it set her heart aglow.

This felt  _ so right. _ Not just the physicality of it, but the intimacy: the way Asami’s breath mingled with hers, the soft tease of Asami’s tongue against her earlobe, the weight of Asami’s body draped over hers like a warm blanket. It was tender and loving, just like the steady, curling strokes inside of her.  _ How could anyone say this is wrong?  _ Korra thought while head spun and her muscles clenched.  _ How could feeling this way about her be wrong? _

She wanted to pay Asami back. No, that wasn’t accurate. She wanted to share the pleasure she was feeling, to bring Asami just as much ecstasy as Asami was giving her, because something in her heart longed to. As Korra’s climax faded, causing her to pulse weakly with each circle of Asami’s thumb, she started making plans. She ached at the thought of losing the new fullness inside her, but she wanted to find out what it was like to be inside Asami as well, and so much more.

***

As Korra lay panting beneath her, blue eyes full of stars and wearing a smile that stretched across her face, Asami couldn’t help feeling proud of herself. It wasn’t smugness, not quite, although she felt a hint of that too. It was joy. She was happy that Korra was happy—especially since that happiness was because of her. She’d never known bringing pleasure to someone else could give her so much in return, but the emotions were strong enough to make her eyes water a little.

“Korra,” she whispered, placing one more soft kiss on Korra’s smiling mouth. “Was that okay?”

Asami knew from the way Korra’s tight stomach shivered that it had been more than okay, but she wanted to hear Korra say it. She wanted to hear Korra’s voice, to hear her name fall from Korra’s lips, just like the passionate cries that had slipped out during her new lover’s release.

Korra responded with a breathy chuckle. “Asami… you’re  _ amazing. _ ”

Asami was surprised when Korra continued showing her appreciation by leaning up for another kiss, but she certainly didn’t object. It was deep and hungry, and it spoke of unmet satisfaction. Asami was confused until Korra’s pelvis eased back, causing the fingers she’d buried to slide out on a tide of wetness. As Korra sucked on her bottom lip and stroked her side, asking wordlessly to flip them over, Asami understood: Korra wasn’t satisfied, but only because she wanted a turn.

Obligingly, Asami rolled onto her back, pulling Korra on top of her. A shiver raced through her as their bodies molded together, and not for the first time in the past few minutes, Asami was thrilled to realize they were a perfect fit. “I want to touch you,” Korra mumbled against her lips. “Can I? Please?”

Asami threaded her fingers through Korra’s, squeezing the Jedi’s hand as it rested tentatively near her breast. Fortunately, Korra didn’t seem to mind that her fingers were still slippery. “Of course. You can touch me any way you want.”

The look of wonder that spread across Korra’s face was absolutely adorable but it quickly turned to hunger as she lowered her lips to Asami’s throat. Her kisses were hot and wet, and Asami found herself rocking against Korra’s hipbone, which had come to rest between her legs.

The pressure was nice, but far from satisfying. Watching Korra come undone beneath her had been intensely arousing, and Asami couldn’t conceal her eagerness. Already, she could feel the trails of wetness she was leaving on Korra’s leg, and when Korra placed a firm kiss on her pulse point, she let out a low moan.

The sound produced an echoing purr from Korra, and one of her hands finally dared to cup Asami’s breast. Asami’s nipples weren’t aching as badly as her clit, but the warm press of Korra’s palm was exceedingly welcome there as well. Asami arched her back, trying for more contact, and she was rewarded with Korra’s hand on her other breast.

Korra seemed unsure of what she was doing, at least at first. She stroked Asami’s breasts cautiously, exploring their soft textures more than pleasuring them, but soon enough, she started figuring out what worked. Asami moaned as Korra rolled her nipples between calloused fingers, and when warm lips closed around one of them, her hand fell to the back of Korra’s head, urging her on wordlessly.

The pressure of Korra’s lips was sublime, but before long it was taken away. Korra lifted up her head, looking at Asami with big eyes. “Seems like that’s good.”

“Very good,” Asami panted, even those few words requiring an effort.

Korra smiled broadly. “So, what should I do next?”

Asami ran a shaking hand through Korra’s hair, an attempt at an affectionate gesture that didn’t fully conceal her desperation. “What do you want to do?”

The look of delighted uncertainty that crossed Korra’s face was something to behold, her eyes flicking back and forth as she considered the question. Asami quivered. She was anxious to see what Korra wanted, and it took every ounce of willpower she had left not to rush her lover’s decision. 

Finally, Korra said, “I want to taste more of you.”

A shiver shot straight between Asami’s legs. “Oh, yes. It can take a little figuring out, but…”

Korra grinned. “Don’t worry. I’ve always been a fast learner.”

“I bet.”

Asami lay back on the bed, relaxing as Korra resumed her journey. She started by kissing  Asami’s breasts once more, but didn’t linger there. Soon, her tongue was tracing the curves of Asami’s stomach while her hands caressed Asami’s hips. Those were rocking against Korra soon enough, the pleasure Asami was feeling only inflaming her further. Korra might have been a novice, but the obvious affection behind her every kiss made this even more intense than a more practiced lover’s attentions might have been.

And that was before Korra finally finished her journey. Asami spread her legs eagerly as Korra slid between them, her lips skimming the soft skin of Asami’s inner thighs. Korra was  _ so _ close to where she was needed, and the heat of her breath was finally too much. Asami’s patience broke and she whimpered, “Please. Now.”

An awed gasp came from Korra’s lips, and she did as she’d been asked. Her tongue ran tentatively between Asami’s outer lips, the motion slow but still delicious. Asami cried out louder than she’d meant to. Korra’s first explorations were tentative, but after so much anticipation, they were enough to drive Asami wild.  Her fingers gripped the bed sheet, while her hips twisted, pressing herself against Korra’s face in her search for more contact.

Korra had been telling the truth about being a fast learner. Soon enough, her tongue was probing at Asami’s entrance. A mumbled word that might have been “Good,” came out before she threw herself fully into her work. With two fingers, she spread Asami, letting her go deeper than before. Asami’s inner walls clenched greedily, and her other hand caressed the back of Korra’s head.

“That’s it. Keep going.”

Korra did just that, gaining confidence with each swipe of her tongue. Asami’s breath came faster, and it wasn’t long before her head was spinning. It wasn’t just Korra’s strokes, which grew more precise as she figured out what she was doing. It was the tenderness behind them, the deliberate effort mixed with enthusiasm. She wanted to bring Asami pleasure, and that simple, selfless desire touched Asami to her very core.

No one else had been so excited to make her feel good. Korra’s tongue slid up toward her clit, hands trembling almost reverently on her thighs. Asami’s hips gave a little jolt. Feeling Korra’s hot mouth draw her in left her dizzy, but it was more than that. The Jedi was putting everything she had into pleasing her, and Asami felt as though she were the very center of the universe itself.

She reached down, twining her fingers with Korra’s and gripping her hand tight. “Please,” she rasped, gazing down. Korra’s blue eyes were staring up at her, shining with tender affection. “Korra, please don’t stop.”

Korra took that as an invitation to suck harder. Her tongue moved up and down at first, but when she experimented with circles, Asami’s hips practically hovered off of the bed. She could lose herself in Korra’s mouth forever, especially because Korra seemed so thrilled to be between her thighs. The heat and pressure and silk pushed Asami higher, but she kept her eyes locked with Korra’s as well. She couldn’t look away, and she didn’t want to.

Even as Asami’s heart filled up, she felt a pang of emptiness in her lower belly. She wanted Korra inside her, emotionally as well as physically, but she also didn’t want to lose the warmth of Korra’s lips. “Your fingers,” she pleaded, using the hand that wasn’t clutching Korra’s to stroke her lover’s hair. “I need your fingers inside me…”

Korra’s eyes widened a little, but if she was surprised, that was quickly replaced with determination. She stroked her free hand up along Asami’s thigh, cupping between her legs.

Asami trembled. She knew Korra wasn’t trying to tease, but that was what it felt like. She shook harder as Korra’s fingers grazed her entrance, testing her wetness and dipping in with only the tips. Asami opened her mouth to offer reassurance, but all that came out was a shout of joy. Korra slid inside, first with one finger, and then with two when she realized it would fit. They weren’t hitting quite the right angle, but Asami didn’t care. The fact that it was  _ Korra _ inside her was infinitely better than any expertise. She shifted her hips, trying to take Korra deeper, tilting herself so Korra would push against her front wall.

Korra picked up the hint quickly. She started pressing her fingers up, and Asami’s vision blurred. Need was rapidly overwhelming her, not just the need to come, but to come for  _ Korra _ .

On the next swirl of Korra’s tongue, Asami tipped over the edge. She clenched down around Korra’s fingers, fluttering at first, then rippling fast and hard. Korra groaned against her clit, and the vibration only made Asami come harder. “Korra, yes,” she whimpered, tugging gently at her lover’s hair. She wanted Korra to know that this was all for her, that she had earned it.

And she was certainly savoring it. While Asami’s body shook, Korra kept thrusting and licking. Shockwaves rippled through Asami’s whole body, her climax as powerful as any she could remember. She screamed, then whimpered as wave after wave crashed on top of her, leaving her so sensitive that the pleasure nearly became painful in its intensity.

Finally, she pushed back gently on Korra’s head, and Korra got the message. Her fingers slid out, and she lifted her head up, looking at Asami with shining eyes. “So, how was that?”

“Incredible,” Asami managed to say in-between gasps. She brushed a hand across Korra’s cheek. “It just got a little overwhelming at the end. But that means you did good.”

“Great.” Korra grinned, taking evident—and well-deserved—pride in her success. She crawled up into Asami’s arms, sighing happily as they were wrapped around her and their lips came together for another kiss. Asami could taste herself there, and that reminder of what they’d done sent a final shiver through her satiated body.

When the kiss ended, Korra’s lay down on top of her, nuzzing her head against Asami’s breasts. Neither of them said anything more, Asami content to languidly stroke Korra’s back, while the Jedi placed little kisses on her chest. The journey to this moment had been so fraught, and now Asami cherished its little details. Her eyes drank in the curve of Korra’s naked body, the muscles, the faded scars, everything she’d dreamed of seeing and now wanted never to forget. 

Sadly, the rest of the galaxy couldn’t be kept out for long. The two lovers’ slow breaths were rudely interrupted by the harsh beeping of Korra’s comm unit, and Asami groaned. Korra clearly wasn’t any happier, because she grabbed the device off of the nightstand and pressed the “ignore” button.

“It’s just Bolin,” she said, setting it back down again.

“We can’t just stay curled up here forever,” Asami said.

“I know,” Korra agreed, sounding as if she regretted that fact as much as Asami did. “But I don’t want it to be over yet.”

“I guess the galaxy won’t end in the next few minutes.” 

Asami drew Korra back toward her, but rather then settle into her arms, the Jedi stayed sitting up.  “I won’t let it end at all,” she declared. “No matter what it takes, I’m going to stop Vaatu.”

The sheer determination in her voice made the statement persuasive. It wasn’t entirely logical; Asami had seen Vaatu’s power face to face, and it was terrifying.  And yet, Korra seemed so strong now, not only with the Force, but in herself. Maybe she really could defeat the ancient monster. Of course, even if she did…

“Afterwards, if we do win, then what?”

“I don’t know,” Korra admitted, but before the obvious next question could be asked, she took Asami’s hand in hers. “But whatever happens, I want to be with you. I’ll have to figure out what that means for me and the Jedi, but I’m not giving this up.”

“That’s more than enough for me.” Asami squeezed Korra’s hand, trying to repay the reassurance she’d just been given. It had been hard enough to accept the rules of the Jedi Order when being with Korra was just a wish. Now that it had become reality, Asami wasn’t willing to let anyone or anything tear them apart.


	26. Chapter 26

Kuvira stood on the bridge of the command ship, arms behind her back, shoulders stiff and squared. All around her, people scurried from station to station. An aura of urgency hung in the recycled air, one that made Kuvira forget the ache in her bones for a few moments. She had healed quickly thanks to a bacta tank and her Master, but pain still lived deep within her.

_ Use it _ , her Master had said.  _ Harness that pain and let it flow through you _ . But she was beginning to doubt the benefits pain could bring. Korra’s voice still haunted her, nor could she forget the look of disappointment in her former friend’s eyes.

“Kuvira?”

She blinked, turning her head to one side. Baatar Junior stood beside her, dressed in dark-colored military garb. Kuvira resisted the impulse to sigh. He hadn’t been particularly good at visiting during her recovery, and a certain coldness had descended between them ever since.

“You have a report on Hiroshi’s progress, I assume?”

Baatar offered a thin smile. “I’ll let him tell you himself.” He stepped aside, and Kuvira saw Hiroshi walking toward the bridge. They gave each other professional nods as he arrived, but Kuvira noticed excitement gleaming in the industrialist’s dark eyes.

“Good news, Kuvira. I’ve just finished running the latest simulations. In theory, our secret weapon should now be fully operational.”

Kuvira arched a brow. “In theory? Please, explain.”

“I have no doubt the weapon will work,” Hiroshi said, sounding slightly indignant. “I would stake my reputation on it. But I can’t officially confirm its effectiveness until we run more tests.”

“And I assume that’s why you’ve come to me.”

Hiroshi nodded. “We need more Force users. Strong ones. The novice Jedi you’ve provided were incapacitated easily enough, but I have no idea how this kind of weapon will fare against the Council, or the Chosen One.”

Kuvira did not miss the note of bitterness in Hiroshi’s voice as he spoke those words. Strangely, it made something unpleasant stir in her stomach. She ignored it and regarded Hiroshi with narrowed eyes. “There isn’t time to capture more Jedi. If you need a strong test subject, I’ll offer my services.”

“That might not be wise,” Hiroshi said. “The effects can be disorienting at best, painful at worst. And that is without unleashing the weapon’s full potential.”

That almost brought a smile to Kuvira’s lips. “I’m no stranger to pain. It fuels my abilities.”

From beside her, Baatar spoke up. “I’m not sure this is a good idea, Kuvira.”

She looked at him curiously. “Oh?”

“You’ve only just recovered…”

For a moment, some part of Kuvira hoped Baatar was actually concerned about her wellbeing. He hadn’t shown it well recently, but it would be somewhat comforting. However, his next words were, “And if the weapon doesn’t disable the Chosen One as thoroughly as we hope, you will need to dispose of her.”

As always, Kuvira hid her anxiety at the prospect.  She was confident in her own abilities, but Korra had beaten her once before. Of course, if the weapon worked properly, another duel wouldn’t even be necessary. The Master’s plan had to come before any desire to prove herself. 

_ Yes. That’s why I’m doing this. The plan. Not because I don’t want to see her face. _

“That’s what the weapon was made for,” Kuvira said. “Regardless, the Master is already more than a match for Korra. And stop calling her the Chosen One. We are the Chosen Ones now. Soon, the Jedi Order will end, and our time will arrive.”

Hiroshi nodded his agreement. “Very well. Come with me, and I’ll show you the weapon.”

As the two of them rode the lift down into the bowels of the dreadnought, Kuvira could already feel the ripples in the Force the weapon was producing. They were comparatively muted, but there was still a push against her, a heavy fog that threatened to dull her senses, and suppress her connection to her abilities.

“Impressive, isn’t it?” Hiroshi said, noticing her evident discomfort. “It’s in standby-mode right now, and yet the effects are still evident. Even without sensitivity to the Force, I can feel a hint of its power deep in my bones.”

_ Impressive _ wasn’t the word Kuvira would have chosen.  _ Oppressive _ would have been a better description, but there was no need to quibble. Clearly, the trust she had convinced the Master to place in Hiroshi hadn’t been a mistake. He and Baatar had worked wonders with the ancient Sith weaponry Vaatu had led them to.

The lift doors opened and Kuvira shivered.  A massive black orb loomed above her, suspended from the cavernous ceiling by struts and wires, new technology that contrasted with the ancient weapon at its center. Across its surface were Sith inscriptions, the pictographs glowing an ominous crimson in synch with the low hum emanating from the core of the sphere. Kuvira could feel its power beating against her harder now, and she closed her eyes, remembering what her Master had told her.

_ The weapon preys on the passivity of the Jedi. They accept the will of the Force rather than bending it to their own desires. Use your passion, and you can overcome the weapon’s power. _

“Are you all right?” Hiroshi asked, concern barely masking his glee.  “I do hope the weapon isn’t overwhelming you. I haven’t even powered it up yet.”

Kuvira opened her eyes once more, drawing in hate and fury along with a deep gulp of air. The heat of the Dark Side sprang to full flame in the depths of her being, burning back the the sphere’s aura. “I will be fine. Activate the weapon.”

Hiroshi walked to a console in the shadow of the sphere, and pressed a sequence of buttons. The glow within the weapon began to build, the hum growing until it filled Kuvira’s ears. Distantly, she could make out Hiroshi saying, “Of course, we will need the Master to put his power behind the weapon in order to cover all of Coruscant with this effect, but right now, you will experience what the Jedi will suffer when he does.”

He touched another control, and suddenly, the glow within the sphere focused down to a point that became a beam, leaping forth over Kuvira. It pressed against her every place, trying to claw its way into the depths of her being. It was almost a living thing, and it hungered, trying to take her will, her drive, her strength and claim them all for itself.

But Kuvira’s will was her own, and she would not be overwhelmed.  She would not surrender it to this thing. Her rage at her earlier defeat, her need to prove her strength, her determination to build a better galaxy from the ashes of the old… these things formed a shield around her, beating back the effect of the weapon.

The pressure eased and then passed almost entirely, her powers keeping the field at bay.  But she knew that no Jedi would be able do the same. When the attack came, they would try to find peace, the calm place within themselves that allowed them to resist external pressures. It’s what they were trained to do, and exactly what the ancient Sith built this weapon to exploit.  _ The Jedi are too passive to harness their passion; it’s one more reason why they have to fall before the galaxy can be saved. _

She turned to Hiroshi, a grim smile on her face. “This will do nicely.”

***

“I’m fine, Aunt Lin,” Opal protested, squirming under Chief Beifong’s gaze. It was true she hadn’t seen much of her aunt before coming to Coruscant to train as a padawan—probably because Lin and Suyin didn’t get along—but Lin could imitate Suyin’s steely stare of disapproval to an uncanny degree. Here, standing before Lin and Tenzin, with Mako and Bolin beside her, Opal felt very much like a child caught staying out past curfew.

“And that’s to the good,” Lin said, “but it might not have turned out that way. What were you thinking, running away from the Temple to launch an attack on Varrick the Hutt alone? The department’s been trying to crack down on him for ages. He’s dangerous—”

Opal folded her arms. “ _ Was  _ dangerous. I told you, we took him out.”

“Jedi do not ‘take people out’, Opal,” Tenzin said. “That’s not how the Order operates.”

Mako cleared his throat politely. “Master Tenzin, with all due respect, Bolin, Asami, and I were being held hostage. Varrick was about to kill us. It’s only thanks to Opal and Korra’s quick action that we survived.”

Tenzin did not seem mollified. “I’m very grateful you’re all alive, but Opal’s actions were still reckless. And while we’re on the subject, where is Korra? She should be here, helping us to prepare our defenses.”

“Uh…” Bolin gave Tenzin and Lin a sheepish grin. “She and Asami went back to the Sato Mansion. Something about checking for bad guys and taking a bath?”

The scar on Lin’s cheek twitched, and Tenzin’s eyebrows raised several inches higher on his bald head. “What? She needs to come back here immediately! There isn’t time to waste.”

“Why, though?” Opal protested. “I know we need to work fast, but it’s not like the Sith are coming this very second—”

Suddenly, Lin’s comm burst into static. “Chief Beifong? Chief, come in! We’ve got reports of an unidentified ship coming out of hyperspace… Oh shit. Shit shit shit. Make that a huge dreadnought. And it’s got a massive escort of fighters too.”

Cold dread filled the room. Opal’s stomach dropped.

Lin was the first to react. Her face went from upset to focused in an instant. “Copy. I want security details evacuating the most populated areas yesterday. All other available forces should report to the Jedi Temple immediately. Vaatu will probably strike here first.”

“I’ll gather the rest of the Council,” Tenzin said, turning from the room with a fluttering sweep of his robes. “We must defend the Temple at all costs.”

“What about Korra and Asami?” Bolin asked. “I called them before, but there was no answer.”

“Ma’am, permission to go to the Sato Mansion and retrieve them,” Mako said to Lin.

Lin shook her head, although she seemed more worried than angry. “Denied. We need you here, Mako. Right now, you’re my liaison with the Jedi. Anything Tenzin needs, you get for him. If you can’t, tell me.”

Mako’s forehead furrowed, and for a moment Opal thought he might object. In the end, however, he dipped his chin in acknowledgment. “Right, Chief. You can count on me.”

Opal stared at him in disbelief. “But someone needs to go after them!” She looked toward Bolin. “Right?”

“At least let me do it,” Bolin said. “You don’t have much use for vid stars here anyway. You won’t even miss me.”

“I strongly advise against leaving the Temple,” Tenzin said. “If the attack begins, it won’t be safe to travel through the city. Besides, I suspect Korra and Asami will make their way here as fast as possible without someone going to fetch them.”

“He’s right,” Mako said. “I don’t want you going out there alone.”

“But Korra’s the Chosen One!” Opal protested. “If this really is the Sith coming, don’t we need her here immediately?”

“What we need is to behave the way we always have: protect the innocent from harm, and bring balance to the Force.” The lines around Tenzin’s eyes and mouth set deeper than usual, and his angular face seemed pinched with a worry Opal had never seen before. It was true that Master Tenzin was usually tense, but this… she could actually sense a hint of fear. And fear was an emotion that Jedi were supposed to suppress and control at all times.

_ If this is enough to scare a member of the Council, it’s really that bad. _

That thought tugged at Opal all the way down the corridor that led to the Chamber of Conclave, where the Order was assembling to receive their deployments. Some part of her said it was silly to be scared. All around her, Opal could see dozens of Jedi hurrying to the same place, where they would join hundreds more no doubt already gathered there. As powerful as Vaatu was, there was no way he could defeat even a fraction of that many Jedi in battle.

_ But he wouldn’t have attacked unless he has a plan to overcome our numbers. Unless his weapon is ready. And we still have no idea what it does, or how to stop it. _

“Is it the Sith?” asked a young ithorian padawan she hadn’t met before.

“It is,” she told him. “Their ship just came out of hyperspace. 

“We’re gonna show them they made a big mistake coming here,” the ithorian declared. Opal realized that his unlit lightsaber was already in his hand, and she could hear eagerness in his voice. He was ready to prove his mettle against a foe more meaningful than training droids.

“We have to trust in the Force,” Opal said noncommittally. She understood his sentiment, but she couldn’t share it anymore. Not since Corbos.

“Well,  _ I _ trust that we’re about to…”

And then his voice suddenly stopped. Before Opal could ask him why, it hit her too. It was as if a shipping container had landed on her shoulders, a weight like she had never felt before. All around her, she could sense the Dark Side, blanketing not just the two of them, but everyone else, as far as she could see. 

The ithorian fell to the ground, clutching at his long, slim head as his lightsaber rolled across the floor. Other Jedi were collapsing as well, some slumped against walls, while others managed to stagger about aimlessly. They were in distress, but there was nothing Opal could do to help them. Indeed, she could barely see them. The pressure increased by the second, and she stumbled, only regaining some semblance of balance when she was on her hands and knees.

Opal groaned. It felt as if something was reaching inside of her, trying to pull out the spark that allowed her to take action. Her limbs were like weights, too heavy to lift, and even her neck was scarcely strong enough to support her head. She was drowning in the Dark Side, and she could feel fear tearing at her guts.

_ Calm yourself.  _  She tried to still her mind, to focus herself on Master Tenzin’s lessons, on the code that guided a Jedi’s actions.  _ There is no emotion, there is peace... There is no death, there is the Force. _

Her breathing began to slow, and Opal could feel her fear recede. But only for a moment. Her inner discipline was supposed to shield her from the power of the Dark Side, but whatever had her in its claws didn’t slacken. Indeed, the weight only seemed to increase. Opal’s hands slipped out from under her, and her chin cracked against the unyielding floor of the temple. All around her, the rest of the Jedi were strewn around like so much debris, and Opal felt the last of her hope slipping away. Vaatu wouldn’t even have to lift a finger to destroy the Order now; they were already beaten.


	27. Chapter 27

Korra sighed in satisfaction, gazing down at Asami’s limp, glistening body with a sense of pride. Her lover— _ her lover _ , she couldn’t get over those words—seemed utterly exhausted in the best way possible. A sleepy smile clung to Asami’s face, and her half-lidded eyes had never looked so soft and beautiful.

_ I did that,  _ Korra thought, bewildered by the realization, no matter how obvious it was.  _ I made her feel this way. I made her happy. _

Somehow, that was even more important than the physical part, the peaks of pleasure they had climbed together and the steep falls that had made them cling to each other. Their hands hadn’t grasped with fear, though. They’d clutched simply to be closer, to share in the same joy.

“That was amazing, Korra,” Asami murmured, still beaming up at her.

Korra’s face flushed. Judging from the responses she’d coaxed from Asami’s body, and those Asami had pulled from hers, she’d hoped that was the case, but hearing it was still validating.

“Really? I wasn’t sure I’d be good at it. You know, until I got some more practice.”

Asami chuckled. “You did great, especially for your first time. But your technique isn’t what made it amazing.” She looked up at Korra with a sense of vulnerability, emotions that echoed within Korra’s chest. Asami was asking a question rather than making a statement: a question about the future, about feelings, about what this made them.

“Yeah,” she rasped. “I felt—I feel so much, Asami. I can’t even describe it.”

Asami sat up slightly, propping herself on one elbow and using her other arm to pull Korra down for another kiss. It was gentle, tasting of both of them, and though it only lasted a moment, Korra felt as though it could have sustained her forever.

“Me too. We can figure out exactly what this means once this is over. For now, knowing you feel it too is enough.”

“I do,” Korra whispered. She was strangely unafraid of the prospect. It felt inevitable, and now she didn’t have any more doubts. Danger seemed far away for once, and wrapped up in the golden warmth of this moment, it was as if nothing bad could touch her…

All at once, a massive weight slammed into Korra’s chest, strong enough to blur her vision. She cried out, rolling off Asami and curling in on herself.

“Korra? Korra!” Asami called out, but her voice sounded muffled and distant. Korra could barely hear it through the wash of white noise assaulting her ears. 

Gradually, the roar of static took shape into something audible: screams—a thousand terrified voices shrieking at once. Soon, Korra couldn’t hear anything else. She couldn’t focus on Asami or the room around her at all. There was only fear: dark tendrils of it that froze whatever they touched. The wispy shadows took shape, swirling into a black-cloaked figure bathed in glowing red light.

Korra’s muscles seized up, and another wave of terror crashed over her. This was more than a disturbance in the Force, more than an upsetting of the balance caused by Vaatu’s approach. She could feel his power wrapping around her, clogging her lungs, seeping into her very bones. It burned like shards of ice driving through her body, and the screams swelled even louder.

It felt as if Asami was a thousand parsecs away as she reached for Korra, her hand at the other end of an endless tunnel. Between them lay the cold void of Vaatu’s power, creating an unbridgeable gulf. 

_ No. It’s not unbridgeable. All life is connected, and there’s no one I’m more connected to than Asami. _

Korra took a deep breath, and reversed her thinking. Instead of curling inward in a futile attempt to shield herself from Vaatu’s power, she remembered what Toph had taught her. All around her was the web of life, and yes, the Dark Side was casting its shadow across it, but that wasn’t all there was. Beneath it, Korra could feel so much more, above all the bright beacon of Asami’s love and concern calling out to her.

She latched onto that, using it as an anchor to hold herself steady in the frigid river of Vaatu’s power. A warmth bloomed in the depths of her chest, and gradually her body began to unclench. Her hand still trembled, but she could raise it now, and her fingers found Asami’s.  They wove together and the heat grew, filling Korra’s whole body now.

Drawing in another long breath, Korra sat up. The shroud of the Dark Side still lay heavy, but it wasn’t crushing her. Not anymore. The Living Force, the energy that lay not just inside Korra, but flowed around and between all life, was shielding her from its evil.

“Korra?”

She could hear Asami’s voice more clearly now, the cacophony reduced to an unpleasant, but manageable, background noise. “I’m... here...” she said, drawing out each word to make sure it was clear.

“Are you all right?”

Korra squeezed Asami’s hand in answer. “I am. Barely, but I am.”

Asami let out a deep sigh, and Korra could see concern give way to relief on her face. Asami’s arms wrapped around her and a powerful surge of affection pulse between them, pushing back the cold a little further. “Thank the Force. But what happened? I felt a chill when you collapsed, but I don’t know what it means.”

Korra ran her hand through Asami’s hair, grounding herself in the silky textures before she answered. “It’s Vaatu. Somehow, he’s reaching out to attack us.”

“Does that mean he’s here?”

Korra shook her head. “Not  _ right _ here. I can feel his power blanketing an enormous area. I’m not sure how though. As powerful as he felt when we fought, I didn’t think he could do this.”

Asami’s eyes widened. “Not by himself, maybe. But what if that’s what my father’s weapon does? Amplify his power somehow... “ Her eyes became unfocused for a moment, and Korra could practically see her mind racing. “Of course. That’s why I couldn’t make sense of the notes. I thought that it was the design for a complete system, but if we assume it requires another component, a Force wielder who…” She realized she’d been rambling and smiled apologetically. “Sorry about that.”

“Don’t worry.” Korra tilted her head to meet Asami’s, kissing her swiftly. “You’re adorable. But we don’t have any time to waste. If Vaatu’s activated the weapon, we have to get to the Temple  _ now _ .” Now that her own pain had passed, she realized what the screams she’d been hearing in her mind were. The whole Jedi Temple was being blanketed by the same attack, and that meant no one was safe.

* * *

Asami sensed something was wrong before she even set her shuttle down at the Jedi Temple. First of all, there was hardly any traffic on the way. A few shuttles zipped in every direction, avoiding flight safety rules entirely, but the air lanes were empty. Closer to the Temple, she saw a worse sight: smoking ships tilted sideways on the ground and smashed into the sides of buildings. It was almost as if their drivers had lost control, or fainted, or…   
  
_ Or, if they were Force sensitive, maybe they felt the same thing Korra did.  _ Asami shuddered and the chill that raced down her spine told her she was right.

Her fears only grew as she flew down toward the Temple. Members of the Coruscant police force were running about below, and scattered between them were bodies. Hundreds of them, all wearing Jedi robes.

She pulled the shuttle in and killed the engine, hopping out while Korra did the same on the passenger’s side. “What’s going on here?” Korra asked, rushing toward one of the fallen figures. She received no response. The Jedi lay there, silent and unmoving aside from a few twitches, and after a moment, Korra rose, shaking her head.

As they dashed into the Temple, Asami saw that the situation was the same everywhere. Jedi lay strew about the polished floors, having fallen in the middle of whatever they’d been doing.  The pained moans some of them were letting out were agonizing to hear, but there was nothing Asami could do and so she just kept going. Suddenly, though, Korra stopped in front of one of the fallen Jedi.

She bent down, and when Asami saw who it was, she recoiled in surprise. “Opal? Opal!” Korra blurted out, and Asami rushed to join them. Opal was laying on the ground, alive but unresponsive. Her body gave harsh jerks before going still, and her eyes were glazed with terror.

“Opal, can you hear us?” Asami asked, resting her hand on Opal’s trembling arm. She wanted to help, although she didn’t know how.

Opal seemed to find a moment of clarity. Her lashes fluttered, and her eyes cleared a bit. “Don’t… know. Chief Beifong… dreadnaught. I ran out... fell… so much screaming.” Her brown skin blanched a sickly shade and her eyes twitched, as if she might lose consciousness again.

“I know,” Korra said. “I felt it too.”

“How long ago?” Asami asked.

Opal was unable to answer the question. When she did speak, it was in a raspy voice, nearly in tears. “The Force… I can’t—can’t feel the…”

Asami’s stomach sank. She wasn’t Force-sensitive herself, but the pain on Opal’s face was heartbreaking. “Whatever this is, it has a broad range,” she said to Korra. “Getting people out of here might not be an option.”

“We do have an option,” Korra said. “Shutting it down. That, or we take out Vaatu himself. It’s his power I can feel behind it.”

Asami nodded. “We have to find Tenzin and Chief Beifong. Opal, where are they?”

Opal’s hands flew to her ears, and she clutched them in agony, curling in on herself. Her face twisted in a grimace and she began to shudder again.

“Asami, Korra?”

Asami looked up. Bolin and Mako were running over, both wearing Coruscant police uniforms, with three more officers alongside them. The group came to a stop, and Bolin dropped to his knees. “Opal? Opal, no!” He looked up, his eyes brimming with tears. “We have to do something. Tell me what I can do—”

“She’s not the only one,” Mako said in a low, worried voice. “All the other Jedi are like this too. How are you even standing, Korra? All the other Force users are out of commission.”

“I got hit with whatever it was too, but I managed to fight it off. It hurt, though. Bad. Probably the worst thing I’ve ever felt.”

That made Bolin even more upset. He brushed a lock of Opal’s hair away from her damp forehead. “We’re gonna fix this, okay, Opal? We’re gonna find a way to fix this.”

“We will,” Korra said, her voice hard with resolve. “I promise.”

Even though Asami knew Korra couldn’t really promise miracles, she felt her own spirits lift a little. There was something about Korra’s presence that gave her hope. “When Opal was conscious for a few seconds, she said something about a dreadnaught. What’s going on, Mako?”

“I was in the council chambers when Chief Beifong got the report. There is a giant dreadnaught in orbit. I don’t like jumping to conclusions, but I’m almost positive whatever’s causing… this… is on it.”

“Then we have to get up there now,” Korra said. “Mako, call Chief Beifong and let her know we’re going to try and board that dreadnought. We’ll need all the cover her forces can give us.”

Mako pulled out his comm unit, but before he could make the call, Bolin cut him off.  “Wait! Korra, you found a way to fight this thing off. You have to help Opal do it too. We can’t leave her like this.”

Korra dipped her head. “I’m sorry, but there’s no time. What I’m doing is based on the things Toph showed me about the Force, and that took time to learn, even without the Dark Side messing up my head. Even from here, I can feel Vaatu’s weapon getting more powerful. It’s draining the Force from all of the Jedi here, and when it’s done...”

“We don’t want to find out what happens after that,” Mako concluded. He reached down, putting a hand on his brother’s shoulder. “Korra’s right, Bolin. The best thing we can do for her is to stop Vaatu as fast as possible.”

Asami could see the lump forming in Bolin’s throat but he managed to say, “I know,” before turning to Opal and saying, “Don’t worry. I’ll be back as soon as I can.” He laid Opal back down gently, and rose, determination etched as firmly as Asami could remember on his usually-good natured face. “Come on. Let’s go kick some Sith ass.”

***

“This would be a lot easier if Vaatu and Kuvira hadn’t brought along so many friends.”

Though Asami didn’t have the time respond to Bolin, she definitely agreed with the sentiment. While the dreadnought might have been the largest ship on Coruscant’s scanners, it wasn’t attacking alone. A huge swarm of fighters surrounded it, many of which Asami noted ruefully bore the marks of her father’s design.

Fortunately, the ships of the Coruscant Home Fleet were keeping most of the enemy busy as Asami made her approach, but there were still more fighters between her ship and the dreadnought than she would’ve liked. The engagement was at point-blank range, too close for her cloaking device to be of any use, and a pair of enemy fighters had taken note of her, closing in fast.

Asami angled the ship hard to the right to avoid their first burst of cannon fire, and shot back with a pair of torpedos. One of them struck home, causing a fighter to explode in a bloom of orange against the dark of space, but the other fighter’s pilot was better. In spite of Asami’s juking, he refused to be shaken, staying right in front of her through each move.  She only barely avoided her enemy’s next shots, tensing as she tried to anticipate their attack pattern.

It didn’t help that as her ship drew closer to the dreadnought, the effect of the weapon was growing stronger. Korra seemed to be holding up well, smiling to reassure at Asami as she flew, but by now, even a non-Jedi could feel the evil they were heading into. There was a chill in the air in spite of the heating system’s best efforts, threatening to numb Asami when she most needed to be sharp.

She shook off a shudder just in time to circle away from another burst of enemy fire. The remaining fighter must have called for help, because now she had three ships to deal with instead of one. They reversed course and came at her in a column, one above and one below the middle fighter, boxing her in before she could swerve around them.

Asami clutched the controls tighter. “Mako, get ready with the rear guns.”

“Ready,” Mako said from the back of the ship. “What are you going to—”

“Hold on.”

Asami threw the ship into reverse, speeding backwards and flipping underneath all three fighters. Korra and Bolin lurched in their seats, but Mako was ready. While she sped past the fighters, the dreadnaught in her sights, he fired from the rear, taking out the two newcomers. The explosions were silent, but the rear viewing field flashed as shockwaves rocked the ship.

“Nice shooting,” Asami said, fighting to straighten out her trajectory. 

“Still one on our tail,” Mako replied.

“I’ve got it.” Asami veered left, speeding toward the dreadnaught. Vaatu’s ship was massive, a seemingly endless stretch of quadanium steel plating. She pulled in right alongside it, swooping as close as she dared, and gave the engine all it had.

The landscape below became a grey blur. She dodged radio towers and outcroppings as they rushed toward her, ducking into grooves along the dreadnaught’s surface to try and throw the fighter behind her. Persistence paid off. She managed to pass each narrow scrape with the dreadnaught’s hull, but the other pilot wasn’t as dexterous. On the next turn she made, they skimmed their ship on a tower she had dodged. One of its wings began to spark, and it immediately slowed its pursuit.

Asami relaxed as the interior of the ship erupted with cheers. Bolin’s were the most enthusiastic, but even Mako seemed caught up in the moment. Korra gave her a look of pride, but it was lost in a wince, and Asami didn’t miss the way she clutched her head again.

“Don’t slow up,” Korra said, before Asami could even make the offer. “I trust you to get us there as fast as you can.”

Asami held onto those words: ‘I trust you’, as she steered into the nearest hangar. She had to pick off an enemy fighter exiting the dreadnaught, but it seemed most of the ships in this docking bay had already left to join the dogfight outside. She pulled in for a landing, tensing as she noticed a line of soldiers rushing into the room. Apparently, their entry hadn’t gone unnoticed.

“Korra,” she whispered, “are you sure you’re ready for this?”

Korra’s face hardened. “Yes. No matter how scared I am, my feelings make me stronger than Vaatu thinks.”

“Uh, guys?” Bolin said, peering out the ship’s window, “I hate to ruin the moment, but they’re pointing guns at us…”

Asami turned the ship toward the squad of armored soldiers. “Then it’s a good thing we have bigger ones.” She opened fire, piercing their armor easily with the extra force of the ship’s cannons. While she offered cover, the other three hopped out of the ship and rushed in. Asami saw Korra’s lightsaber flash through the sparking spray, and she caught a glimpse of Mako and Bolin taking up position behind the wing of the ship so they could pick off the stragglers.

It didn’t take long to clear the way. Between the four of them, they managed to shoot down the majority of the soldiers, making the stragglers retreat back the way they’d came. Asami killed the engine and hopped out of the ship, landing beside Mako and Bolin. “We have to figure out where my father’s weapon is. If we shut it down, the rest of the Jedi can help us clean up this mess.”

“No,” Korra said, jogging over to them. There was a line of sweat above her brow, but otherwise, she didn’t look like she was experiencing any distracting pain. “Vaatu is the key. If we take him out, this all ends.”

“We need to do both,” Mako said, ever the voice of reason.

“But shouldn’t they be together?” Bolin asked. “Korra said Vaatu was the one powering this stupid thing up.”

Asami shook her head. “That doesn’t mean we have to face him directly. This weapon is massive. There’ll be plenty of crucial systems we can disable without going near Vaatu.”

Even as she explained, Asami felt a pang in her chest. The logical part of her brain knew what course of action that suggested, but her heart didn’t want to hear it. She looked at Korra’s face, hoping she would find disagreement, a reason for the four of them to stay together, but although she found sadness and worry, she also saw acceptance.

“You don’t have to go alone,” Asami finally said, her throat growing tighter as she spoke the words. “I don’t want you to go alone.”

“I know you don’t,” Korra said. The ‘but’ hung in the air between them. It made more sense to split up and double their chances of stopping the weapon before it was too late.

“Korra…” The storm of emotion within Asami broke as she stared into her lover’s eyes. She grasped Korra’s shoulders, pulling her in for a bittersweet kiss. When Korra kissed her back, she felt a moment of nothing but love and rightness and peace, but all too soon it was gone, and she was left with only the memory of Korra’s lips on hers.

“I’ve got you with me,” Korra said, blinking back a few tears. “In here.” She patted the left side of her chest, right where her heart was. “Go stop that weapon. I’ll fight better without it.”

It took Asami a few breaths to get her burning lungs to work properly again. “I will. I promise. Korra…” She started to say ‘may the Force be with you’, but what came out instead was, “I love you.”

Korra gave her a sad smile. “I know. Me too.”

Then she turned away, hurrying out of the hangar and deeper into the ship.

Asami watched her go, frozen in place, until Bolin cleared his throat beside her. “Um… so, that was a thing that happened?”

“Later,” Mako grunted. Although he seemed surprised as well, he was doing his best to conceal it. “Okay, where do we go now?”

Asami tried her best to pull herself together. “The ship’s scanners picked up a hot spot near the middle of this behemoth on the way in that’s not the reactor. That’s probably supplying the weapon’s energy.”

The three of them exited the hangar, pistols in hand, although Asami’s fingers trembled around hers. Her mind and heart were still with Korra.


	28. Chapter 28

It wasn’t long before Korra sensed the presence. Even through the shroud of the Dark Side that blanketed the dreadnought, it was too strong, and too well-known for her to miss. Especially since it seemed to be focused on her, drawing Korra inexorably toward it. It was an invitation she couldn’t ignore. She had to get to Vaatu, and between her and the massive shadow the Sith Lord cast in the Force stood...

“Kuvira.”

She saw the fallen Jedi in the flesh as she rounded a corner, emerging out into a large hall that, like the other parts of the ship she’d run through, was nearly empty. The bulk of Vaatu’s warriors were no doubt already in their dropships, headed for the surface of Coruscant, but this one had remained behind. Standing at the other end of the hall, positioned in front of the elevator Korra needed, was Kuvira.

“Hello, Korra.” Kuvira’s lightsaber was already ablaze and a small smirk was on her face.  “I knew you wouldn’t succumb to my Master’s power as easily as the rest of the fools in the Order.”

Korra’s own lightsaber ignited. “Those ‘fools’ used to be your friends, Kuvira. Do you want me to tell you what your weapon is doing to them?”

For an instant, Korra felt a flicker of doubt in Kuvira, but it didn’t last long. “They were weak, and now they’re paying for it. But not you, Korra. That fact that you’re standing here in front of me proves that you’re too strong to bind yourself to their pathetic Order.”

Korra moved forward slowly, circling Kuvira as she tried to decipher how this would play out. “I was also strong enough to kick your ass, Kuvira.”

“And yet, I have recovered. Thanks to my Master’s power.”

“Then I guess I’ll just have to kick it harder this time. You couldn’t beat me back on Corbos. What makes you think this go round with be any different?”

Kuvira didn’t respond with words. Instead, she raised a hand, lifting up a pair of metal canisters from beside the elevator doors and hurling them at Korra. 

Korra’s lightsaber flashed, slicing easily through the metal, even as Kuvira launched her true attack. She was a blur, the Dark Side speeding her motion across the hallway, but Korra was ready. Her retreat was controlled, letting her take the measure of Kuvira’s attacks as she defended. They were powerful, but wild, less precise than during their last duel, and Korra was able to turn them aside without too much difficulty.

Six steps back, Korra stopped giving ground. Her lightsaber met Kuvira’s, the blue and red blades locking together in front of their faces. She could see the rage shining in Kuvira’s eyes, and perhaps it was just the reflected light of the sabers, but Korra thought that behind it was a desperate edge.

“You don’t have to do this,” Korra said, holding the bind to give them a moment to speak. “We can still put an end to this madness.”

“It’s too late.” Kuvira snarled and lashed out, her booted foot snapping up at Korra’s torso. 

Korra pulled back fast enough that the kick only glanced her sternum. She recovered before Kuvira did, and the Sith was left off-balance thanks to the failed attack. Korra raised her hand, catching Kuvira with a powerful thrust of the Force. Kuvira tumbled backward, but managed to roll up into a crouch before Korra could strike again.

“No, it’s not,” Korra insisted. “Together, we can still save the Jedi.”

“The Jedi?!” Kuvira spat the word. “They deserve to fall.”

She lunged again and Korra blocked, holding Kuvira back without counterattacking yet. “Look, Kuvira, I don’t agree with everything the Jedi say either. I’ve come to see that there’s more to life than their Code. But they still mean well, which is more than I can say for Vaatu”

“My Master…” Kuvira began to say, but Korra cut her off.

“Your  _ Master _ doesn’t care one bit about you,” Korra insisted, pushing Kuvira back out of the bind. “I saw the way he looked at you after our last duel: like you were a broken engine part that had given out at an inconvenient moment. The minute you’re no use to him, he’ll get rid of you.”

If Kuvira had been angry before, the fire burning in her green eyes now became molten fury. Her rage carved harsh lines on her face, and beneath it, Korra sensed deep pain. “I  _ am _ useful,” Kuvira snarled, launching herself forward. They traded a flurry of blows that sent sparks flying all around them. Korra managed to keep up at first, but the strength of Kuvira’s attacks eventually drove her back.

A savage swing of Kuvira’s lightsaber brushed against Korra’s arm, and she hissed in pain. The burn screamed as she leapt out of the way, barely avoiding the next strike, this one aimed at her chest. She twirled just in time to deflect yet another blow, and their lightsabers hissed, clashing several times before they were forced to spin away from each other.

Korra prepared to rush in, but Kuvira was faster. She went low, going for Korra’s midsection, swiping close enough for Korra to feel the heat radiating from her saber. She brought her own blade down, blocking Kuvira at the last moment and trapping her in another contest of strength.

“You don’t stand a chance,” Kuvira spat. “I am more powerful than ever before! My Master chose me because of my potential—potential only I have.”

Korra panted, struggling to catch her breath. All this fighting and talking at the same time wasn’t easy, but she wasn’t ready to give up on her old friend yet. “If your Master really needs you, why does he want me instead?”

Her words must have landed, because Kuvira hesitated for a split second. That gave Korra enough time to send a wave of the Force rolling toward her. It rocked Kuvira backwards, and she stumbled to keep her footing. Korra didn’t take advantage of the opportunity.  She waited, lightsaber at the ready.

“He  _ does _ want me,” Kuvira growled through gritted teeth. “And I will prove I’m worthy of the faith he’s shown when I bring him your corpse.”

She hurled herself forward once more, and Korra met her.  Their blades clashed over and over, Kuvira hammering wildly against Korra’s guard, trying to overcome her defenses through the sheer power of her rage. 

It was an impressive display of strength, but it also made her moves predictable. Korra could sense her anger gathering before it was unleashed, and when Kuvira raised her arms to deliver her next blow, Korra was ready. She lashed out at Kuvira’s shin with her foot, taking advantage of the opening in her opponent’s guard her wild strokes created. When she connected, Kuvira staggered, and her attack went wide, allowing Korra to sidestep it easily. Kuvira tried to spin to face her once more, but now Korra was one move ahead. 

Her lightsaber crashed down on Kuvira’s and the force of the strike sent the blade tumbling out of Kuvira’s hand.  Kuvira dove after it, but before she could grasp the hilt, Korra raised her hand, calling the lightsaber to her instead.

“It’s over, Kuvira.”

Kuvira spun around, her face contorted with desperate fury.  A primal, guttural scream came from the depths of her being and blue lightning flew out of her fingertips in powerful torrents. Korra raised her lightsaber to block it, skillfully rerouting the corrupted streams of the Force around her. Her skin tingled from the energy but her guard held, her lightsaber absorbing or deflecting the lightning until at last Kuvira could no longer maintain her attack.

“Go on,” Kuvira gasped, as she slumped down on the deck, her hands barely able to keep her from collapsing entirely. “Finish it.”

“No.” Korra lowered her lightsaber and looked down at Kuvira. All of her fury seemed to have been spent in that final attack, and now she just looked empty. “I don’t want to kill you. I never did.”

“Why not?” Kuvira’s eyes were closed as if she couldn’t bear to look at Korra. “There’s nothing for me now. My Master was the only person who ever wanted me, and now I’ve failed him. Again.”

“That’s not true.” Korra extinguished her saber and took a step toward Kuvira. “ _ I _ want you around, Kuvira. Suyin wanted you. The Jedi wanted you.”

Kuvira’s eyes opened once more and even though she still couldn’t meet Korra’s gaze, Korra could see that they were bright with unshed tears. “You’re lying. You have no idea what it’s like. You were always the Chosen One—”

“Screw being the Chosen One.” Korra took another few steps and knelt, leaving her and Kuvira face to face.

The tears Kuvira had been restraining flowed freely now. “How… how can you say that? You have everything you could ever want. The entire galaxy admires you, needs you. My own parents didn’t want me, and Suyin shipped me off as soon as she could.”

“Being the Chosen One isn’t about that, Kuvira. It’s not about being important or wanted.” She sighed, reaching out to clasp Kuvira’s shoulder. “You know what? I’d give it up if I could. I’d rather be your friend.”

Kuvira’s head snapped up in surprise. “What?”

“You heard me. I’d give it up to be your friend. But not like this, Kuvira. Not while you’re trying to hurt people.” For a moment, Korra caught a glimpse of shame in Kuvira’s watery eyes. “But it doesn’t have to be this way. There’s still time for us to fix your mistakes.”

The next moment seemed to stretch out for an eternity. Through the Force, Korra could sense the conflict within Kuvira, her hurt and despair warring with the underlying goodness that had once made them friends.  _ Please _ , Korra whispered to herself.  _ Please, don’t force me to end this the same way I did with my uncle. I can’t stand to kill another person I care for. _

And then Kuvira raised her hand, and for a terrible instant, Korra thought she was about to launch a last, suicidal attack. But instead, she held it there, silently asking for help, and Korra grasped her hand, drawing Kuvira back to her feet.

They were only inches apart now, and in Kuvira’s eyes, Korra could see that the conflict was over. Kuvira’s old power was diminished, her proud shoulders slumped, her neat bun of hair a rumpled mess, but the hate that had been driving her was gone. “I want to believe you, Korra,” she said softly. “That we can stop this… But I don’t know if he can be beaten.”

“Yes, he can.”  Korra let go of Kuvira’s hand, and when she extended it again, it held Kuvira’s lightsaber. She could see the surprise in Kuvira’s eyes, the disbelief that Korra could really be trusting her again so quickly. 

But Korra only nodded. Whatever Kuvira had done, she had broken the grip of the Dark Side, and after an instant’s hesitation, she took the lightsaber.  The hint of a smile appeared on her face and it only grew when Korra added, “If we fight him together, we can stop Vaatu once and for all.”

***

“Are you sure this is the right way?” Bolin shouted from behind the corner he was using for cover. He popped out quickly, landing a surprisingly good shot on one of the approaching guards in the next hallway before plastering flat against the wall again.

“Pretty sure,” Asami said. She and Mako were on the other side of the same open doorway, trying to clear a path forward. She shot a second guard with her blaster, then jerked her head toward the ceiling. “See? Powerlines. They’re feeding into something big.”

“Sith weapon big?” Mako asked.

Asami didn’t get a chance to answer. Fresh guards began pouring into their hallway from either side, closing in like a black-armored pincer. Up until now, their path had been relatively clear, and though Asami didn’t have time to say so, the fact that they’d found a huge concentration of guards was another sign they were on the right path.

“Come on,” Mako barked. “We’ve gotta move!”

Asami didn’t need to be told twice. She sucked in a breath and darted into the hallway, hoping Mako and Bolin would be able to offer some cover fire for just a few seconds. She went low, charging shoulder-first into the nearest soldier and stunning him with a powerful zap from her glove. 

The effect was quick and brutal. He jerked, then fell. The other guards aimed their blasters at her, but Asami was too fast. With Mako and Bolin buying her time, she ran in for another takedown. Guard number two dropped to his knees, smoking slightly from between the seams of his armor. A couple of the remaining guards retreated, and Mako and Bolin were able to shoot the rest. The brothers rushed into the hallway, and when they reached Asami, all three of them kept sprinting.

“How many are behind us?” Bolin panted.

“Too many,” Asami replied. The sound of blaster fire echoing off of walls was closing in, and a shower of sparks rained down as a stray bolt hit the powerline they’d been following.

“Can’t we just take that out?” Mako asked as they veered around a corner into temporary safety. “It can’t work without power, right?”

“We’d need a big explosion,” Asami explained, “and we’d have to take out the other powerlines too. I can’t guarantee the ship will withstand that.”

“Let’s call that a last resort then,” Bolin said.

“Here they come,” Mako yelled, whipping back to check the corner. A squad of soldiers was hurrying after them, already prepared to shoot.

Asami glanced around in desperation. They needed to get out of this hallway, or they’d be sitting ducks. The nearest door was a couple yards ahead, and she raced for it as fast as she could. When she skidded to a stop, she cursed under her breath. There was a scanner. Of course there was a scanner. There was no time to hack in—her only option was to override it.

She threw open the small panel beneath the scanner as Mako and Bolin crouched beside her, trying to offer cover. Inside was an emergency override with a numeric keypad, but that didn’t help. Her father used multiple passwords, and though she knew most of them, she didn’t have time for a lot of guesses.

“Asami?” Bolin said, his voice rising in pitch. “Can you get us in?”

Asami’s heart thundered.  _ Come on. Which one? _

She made her decision: 0-9-2-3-7-5-1. The date her mother died on.

The scanner flashed green, and the door opened with a soft hiss. Asami hurtled through, not caring what was on the other side.


	29. Chapter 29

“Oh crap!”

Bolin’s exclamation was an accurate, if succinct, description of their new situation. The door had closed behind Asami, cutting off the pursuing troopers, but she, Mako, and Bolin had escaped from the frying pan only to land in the fire. They were standing in a cavernous laboratory filled with all manner of weapons and other sophisticated machines in various stages of completion.

That wasn’t the problem. The problem was in the center of the lab, where a half-dozen humanoid war droids were massed, with her father at their head. The business attire she’d last seen him in had been replaced with a different kind of suit, an ultra-heavy set of black and gold powered armor that made him stand half a foot higher than everyone else in the room.

Mako raised his blaster. “Hiroshi Sato, in the name of the Galactic Republic, you’re under arrest. Get out of the armor and put your hands in the air.”

Hiroshi gave Mako’s demands a disdainful sniff. “Young man, you didn’t impress me very much when you were dating my daughter, and under the present circumstances, I think even less of you. Your precious Republic will be dead before the day is out, and you much sooner than that if you don’t put your weapon down.”

“Stop it.” Asami took a step toward Hiroshi, but didn’t point her blaster at him. She was ready to fight if she had to, but even after all that had happened, it was still hard for her to believe her father was really going to shoot her down.

For the moment, her faith was validated. Instead of lifting the blaster cannon attached to the mecha armor’s right arm, Hiroshi smiled at her, the kind of loving, paternal smile that made her want to forget what he’d done. “I’m glad you’re here, Asami, and not down on the planet. Surely, you can see that Coruscant is doomed. There’s no need for you to fall alongside it. If you surrender, I will convince my Master to let you join our ranks.”

Asami gave a small, rueful shake of her head. “You know that I can’t do that, Dad. Your so-called master is hurting a lot of good people, and he’ll hurt more if he isn’t stopped. How can you, of all people, want that?”

At her refusal, Hiroshi’s thick brows furrowed. “Sometimes the path to a better world isn’t an easy one, Asami. The Jedi failed our family, and now they’ve failed Coruscant. Can’t you see that I’m doing this to make a better galaxy?  For you more than anyone. ”

“A better galaxy?” Bolin was furious in a way Asami had seldom heard him before. “You’re killing the Jedi, Mister Sato! You need to turn off this weapon  _ now _ .”

“He’s right, Dad. This has to stop. You say you’re doing this for me, but it isn’t what I want, and you know it isn’t what Mom would have wanted either.”

A hateful look such as Asami had rarely seen there crossed Hiroshi’s face. “You don’t understand. You were so young when she died. When her life was lost for the most idiotic of reasons—”

“I was old enough to remember her,” Asami said, her eyes welling up. “Losing her hurt me too! But I’m not trying to destroy a whole planet and all the Jedi because of it.” She didn’t want to be angry, but this—her father’s cruelty, his blindness, the way he was using her mother’s memory as an excuse to inflict his own pain on others—it was simply too much. In that moment, she knew. There would be no getting through to him. The father she’d loved was gone.

Abruptly, Hiroshi seemed to calm down. “Then it’s over.” Asami felt one last flicker of hope before the faint light was snuffed out for good. He raised his arm, pointing the blaster cannon directly at her. “I’m sorry, Asami. I’m sorry I didn’t raise you well enough to understand.”

He fired.

Asami dove behind a nearby laboratory table in time to avoid the worst of the blast, but it didn’t offer much cover. The battle droids started firing on her, and their bolts sent sparks flying off the thin metal. Above the din, there were shouts Asami recognized as Mako and Bolin, and she caught a glimpse of them diving behind another table to her left in order to avoid a second blast of Hiroshi’s cannon.

“Mako, Bolin, fall back!”

She turned in her crouched position, but she couldn’t see an escape route. Instead, the doors they had entered through opened to reveal the soldiers they had been trying to outrun before. Trapped between them and her father’s droids, there was no escape.

“Asami?” Bolin called out.

Asami didn’t answer. She didn’t know what orders to give. Her mind was racing, but the faster it went, the more muddy everything felt. It took all the concentration she had to scurry to another table as the bright light at the mouth of Hiroshi’s cannon swelled again.

She barely dodged the next boom. Her ears rang as the blast passed straight through the table she’d been hiding behind, hurtling toward the back wall and leaving a sizzling black spot behind. _ That canon won’t let us get more than a few feet in any direction,  _ she realized, her panic growing.  _ We need to disable it, or… _

Asami glanced around the room again, not looking for a hiding place, but trying to pick out a volatile target. It was dangerous, but if she could get her father to shoot at something flammable, maybe the explosion would take out some of the guards before they could close in on her. Her eyes settled on what looked like an in-progress power core suspended in a thin metal framework about ten yards away.

“Mako, cover me!”

The moment Mako popped up to fire on the approaching droids, Asami bolted for the power core as fast as she could, switching her glove to its maximum setting. The first of the approaching soldiers tried to cut her off, but she grasped his shoulder, sending a jolt of electricity through his armor. As soon as he fell, a second soldier took his place. His blaster was already raised, and he managed to get off a shot before Asami took him down. She hissed in pain as it clipped her thigh, but forced herself to keep moving. More soldiers were coming, and she could see the glow of Hiroshi’s cannon swelling again.

She staggered behind the suspended power core as the next blast rocked the room. It sent several soldiers scattering as well, but to Asami’s horror, Hiroshi didn’t seem to care. He was focused on her and only her and if she hadn’t been terrified, Asami would have been grief-stricken. As it was, she took a deep breath, blinking back tears. She needed to time this perfectly.

Hiroshi didn’t aim his cannon at the power core. Instead, he swung the mecha suit’s giant arm toward Mako and Bolin.

For a split second, Asami froze. Her friends were still pinned down, trying to pick off droids, but they ducked as soon as Hiroshi turned on them.  _ It won’t be enough. That blast will go right through them. _

With no time to rush to their rescue, Asami decided to try something else. She slammed her glove palm-first into the power core, pouring all the juice she could into it. She didn’t feel anything, but she knew her plan had worked when the power core started belching smoke and the droids pinning Mako and Bolin toppled over. The electromagnetic pulse she’d created had shut them down.

Hiroshi’s mecha suit seemed to power off as well. The light inside the cannon died, and he staggered backward, as if he had been pushed by an invisible force. Asami’s heart leapt, but sank just as quickly as Hiroshi righted himself. He was still up and moving, and the lights on his armor switched back on.  _ Of course he wouldn’t build a mecha suit without a backup power source. _

“Give up, Asami,” Hiroshi shouted, his voice amplified through the suit’s speakers. “You’re surrounded.”

Asami whipped her head around, realizing he was right. The other soldiers had closed in, forming a circle around her. She didn’t say anything. Her father was going to kill her, surrender or not—that much she realized. Her options were closing rapidly. The only one left was to take as many soldiers out as she could before going down herself. She closed her eyes briefly and clenched her fist, surrounding her glove with electricity.

_ Korra… Korra, I’m so sorry. I know you can do this, even without me. _

The loud screech of metal on metal made Asami’s eyes snap open. All the soldiers around her fired their blasters, but not at her. They had turned on two huge shapes hurtling toward them from across the room: a pair of giant, square-shaped mecha suits with hollowed-out chests for a pilot to sit in. They were intended for construction instead of combat, but Mako and Bolin didn’t seem to care. Asami could see the grin on Bolin’s face as he knocked over three soldiers at once with a sweep of the mecha’s arm.

“Woohoo! This is awesome!”

Mako was less concerned with theatrics. He stomped and smashed the nearest soldiers with ruthless efficiency, clearing a path toward her. “Asami, go!”

Asami nodded. The construction suits wouldn’t do Mako and Bolin much good against the cannon, which meant it was up to Asami to find a way to disable it while they took care of the remaining soldiers. 

_ Okay, Dad, I guess it’s you and me. _

Hiroshi knew it too. He swivelled back toward Asami, but she was already moving. The suit’s power was back on, but still it wasn’t as fast as it had been, and she was able to avoid giving her father a clear line of fire as she circled around the room in search of an opening.

Finally, Hiroshi decided to take his shot anyway. The cannon boomed, and Asami dove, leaving the blast to impact against a rack of electrical components behind her. They exploded in a bloom of blue flame, and the shockwave slammed hard into Asami’s side. 

She winced as she crashed into one of the lab’s support pylons, but there was no time for pain. The cannon wasn’t re-charging as fast either, and before it could fire again, she darted toward her father. He swung a massive arm at her, but she backed up out of his reach before leaning in once more. She pushed her gloved hand into the center of the mecha’s chest, and as soon as she made contact, the sparks flew. For an instant, Asami’s hopes soared, but though her father grimaced within the mecha, he wasn’t incapacitated. A metal leg drove up into Asami’s chest and she tumbled away from Hiroshi, her ribcage burning.

Shaking off the pain, she reassessed her strategy. The mecha had proved too resilient to attack directly with her glove, but maybe there was another way. At this point, it was down to auxiliary power. If she could disable that as well, the whole system should shut down.

But first she had to know where the backup power source was located, and she didn’t have much time. Hiroshi had regained full control over the mecha, and the cannon light was glowing ominously as it powered back up once more.  _ Wait! The light! That’s it!   _ After Asami had overloaded the power core, the mecha’s lights had come back on starting from the left rear shoulder, which meant that back-up power source was probably there.

Asami rolled back to her feet just as the cannon was completing its recharge cycle, which meant she had to move fast. She faked a step to the left before dashing to the right, leaving Hiroshi to swivel back and forth in an attempt to keep up, and once he finally managed to level the cannon at her, Asami went low.

Ducking under her father’s swinging arm, she scampered between the legs of the mecha, springing back to her feet on the other side. Hiroshi tried to turn and face her again, but before he could, Asami grabbed his left shoulder and gave it everything bit of charge her glove could muster.

For an instant, there was no effect aside from a fresh spray of sparks, but it was the calm before the storm. Seconds later, the suit’s massive limbs twitched and then spasmed, forcing Asami to dive clear. The cannon discharged once more, loosing a wild shot that caught two of the remaining soldiers in its radius, and then the mecha simply stopped. The lights went out, the arms dropped to its sides, and it toppled over, crashing in a heap in front of Asami.

A moment later, the last of the soldiers were tossed a few feet to the left of her. Bolin let out a whoop of triumph. “We did it!”

“Nothing’s done yet,” Mako reminded his brother as he lumbered over toward Hiroshi’s fallen mecha. “Not until we shut down the weapon. And he’s going to tell us how to do it.”

Hiroshi glared up at Mako and Bolin with venom in his eyes. He gave the controls of his mecha one more tug, but it was no use. His armor had shut down, and he was trapped inside. Asami held her glove at the ready, waiting for Mako and Bolin to exit their mechas and come to stand beside her, their blasters raised.

“Tell us where the weapon is and how to disable it,” she said.

“You can’t disable it.” Hiroshi’s voice was low and bitter, as though he couldn’t swallow the taste of defeat. “It’s too late for that. The core is already at critical power. Shutting it down will take time you don’t have.”

“Then we won’t shut it down,” Bolin said. “We’ll blow it up. Right, Asami?”

Asami wished she could give a simple ‘yes’, but blowing things up wasn’t always the simplest course of action. Doing so would mean killing everyone left on board the dreadnaught instead of allowing them the chance to surrender, and she couldn’t guarantee she, Mako and Bolin, and especially Korra would be able to escape in time.

_ But that doesn’t matter right now, does it? You have to stop this thing, no matter what it takes. Otherwise, the Jedi Order and probably all of Coruscant will be wiped out. _

“Right, Bolin.” She continued glaring at her father. “One more chance. Where is it?”

Hiroshi looked almost impressed. “You still manage to surprise me, Asami. I really am sorry it has to end this way.” He smashed through the mecha’s dashboard with his fist, reaching in to grab several of the wires.

Asami’s body jolted with adrenaline. She knew what was coming, but she barely managed to shout, “Run!” and take a few strides away before the blast caught her. Hiroshi’s mecha went up in flames, sending a shockwave through that part of the room. Sparks flew by Asami’s head, and she smelled the bitter scent of her own singed hair even as flames ate through her clothes. She lurched forward, hitting the ground and rolling to try and smother them.

“Asami!” Her name was muffled and distant, but Asami saw a hand extend toward her. She took it, looking up into Mako’s face as he helped her to her feet. He kept talking, but she had to struggle to read his lips until a little of her hearing returned.

“…re you okay?”

It took her several moments to answer, and when she did, her throat was tight and sore. “Mmkay. Dad?”

Mako’s face fell. He glanced over his shoulder, and Asami’s heart sank as she followed his gaze. Nothing remained of either Hiroshi or his mecha but blackened metal scraps. The whole thing had gone up in the explosion.

Despite everything, Asami felt a lance of pain in her chest. Some foolish part of her had still hoped that maybe… But no. Her father was gone. He would never be brought to justice, and he would never find any kind of redemption. Hopefully, now he was one with the Force —but Asami had to focus on the present and the people who were still alive.  _ Like Korra. _

“Okay,” she said with a shaking breath. “We still need to figure out where the weapon is.” Blinking tears from her eyes, she looked past Mako and toward the door at the other end of the lab. “Da… Hiroshi was here for a reason. Maybe to block our way?”

“Sound guess,” Mako said. “Bolin?”

Bolin tore his eyes away from the smoldering remains of Hiroshi’s mecha. “Yeah. Let’s head through.” He squared his shoulders, but his eyes were soft as he touched Asami’s arm. “I’m sorry, Asami. I just want you to know you’ve still got a family in me. Mako and Korra too. After all this, you won’t be alone as long as I’m here.”

Asami forced a small but genuine smile. “I know. And thanks.”


	30. Chapter 30

The air was still as Korra approached the huge double doors, and combined with an oppressive quiet, it made the hairs on the back of her neck stand up. The Dark Side permeated this place even more than the rest of the dreadnought.

Kuvira felt it too. She seemed tense, her eyes narrow and her gait unusually stiff. “Are you sure about this, Korra?” she asked, stopping just short of the doors. “You just saved me. It would be a shame if I brought you here to get killed in return.”

“I know how powerful Vaatu is,” Korra said, her voice quiet but solid. “This won’t be easy. But we have to do it.”

Kuvira nodded. “You’ve changed since the last time we fought.”

“I have.” Between her time training with Toph and the love that had blossomed between her and Asami, it felt as if years had passed between her duels with Kuvira. Now, though, was hardly the time to explain. “After we win this thing, I’ll tell you all about it.”

A small smile appeared on Kuvira’s face. “I suppose I’ll just have to live to hear the story.” She gestured at the doors, and they slid open to reveal Vaatu’s meditation chamber.

The room was vast, the floor shaped into a series of levels that narrowed down gradually into a pit on the other side. A huge picture window offered them a view of the battle taking place outside, the lights of the rival fighter’s laser cannons and the flashes of flame when one of them was destroyed illuminating the dim chamber.

At the center of the pit sat the lone figure of Vaatu, the Sith Lord meditating to focus his power into the weapon that was even now ravaging the Jedi. As they entered, he stood and turned, glaring at Kuvira with the rotted ruin that had been his face.

“So the Chosen One lives. You have failed me once more, Kuvira,” he rumbled in a voice that sounded like the one a grave would speak in.

Kuvira refused to be cowed. Her lightsaber ignited in her hand, and its red blade illuminated the grim determination of her expression. “A matter of perspective. I prefer to think that Korra reminded me of who I really am.”

Vaatu didn’t bother to respond. Instead he turned toward Korra, the weight of his gaze palpable. “So you have turned my strongest servant against me. But it will avail you nothing. I can kill two insects as easily as one.”

Korra’s lightsaber ignited as well. “Prove it.”

She leapt toward Vaatu, and Kuvira followed close behind. The two of them aimed for opposite sides of the Sith Lord, trying to catch him in a pincer, but he was ready. Before they landed, Vaatu took a step backward, positioning himself so his lightsaber could meet theirs.

His raw strength enabled him to block both strikes without flinching, and before Korra could follow up, Vaatu raised his other hand. She watched helplessly as a wave of the the Force slammed into Kuvira, breaking through her defenses and sending her tumbling backward. Korra tried for a low cut across Vaatu’s abdomen, but he met her blade again, the force of his parry pushing her back.

The display of raw power send a shiver of fear through Korra, but as Vaatu went on the attack, she realized that Toph had been right. The vastness of Vaatu’s presence in the Force, which had overwhelmed Korra the first time they fought, also made him easier to predict. Unlike most beings, he wasn’t so much connected to everything around him as he was a void that disrupted all the other connections. Korra could anticipate that disruption as it approached her, letting her deflect his blows with an ease that surprised both of them.

“You have grown, Chosen One.” Sparks flashed whenever Vaatu’s saber met hers, but on the next strike, he kept pushing, leaning over the hissing blades. “You have forsaken the foolish Jedi notions of the Force and tapped into your emotions, into the Force’s true power! You have set out on your inevitable journey to the Dark Side.”

“No!” Korra pushed back against Vaatu’s continuous pressure, but he used her strength against her, withdrawing his blade to send her spiraling outward. He swept his lightsaber in a downward strike, and Korra raised hers a second too slow. She braced herself for pain, but Kuvira leapt in front of her, her blade sending Vaatu’s attack wide.

The timely rescue gave Korra a chance to recover. While Kuvira traded blows with Vaatu, she regained her balance and her focus.  _ What he says is wrong! My strength comes from my attachments to other people, not hate for them like his does.  _ She rushed in again, fueled by fresh determination.

She arrived in time to return Kuvira’s favor. Vaatu forced Kuvira to dodge a rapid series of strikes, then pointed his outstretched fingers at her, sending bolts of blue lightning straight at her chest. Korra blocked them with her saber, channeling all her concentration into absorbing the electrical energy.

It wasn’t enough. Some of the lightning got through, striking Kuvira’s torso. She cried out in pain and dropped to her knees, almost losing hold of her lightsaber.

“Kuvira!”

Korra rushed for Kuvira’s side, but Vaatu didn’t allow it. He doubled his attacks, coming at Korra faster than before. Cold seeped through her skin, burrowing its way down to her bones, and a ring of fearful frost spread around the edges of her mind.

_ No. I won’t be afraid. Not anymore. _ She fought back against the freezing terror Vaatu poured into her, chasing it away with the heat of her anger.  _ I won’t let him hurt Kuvira, no matter what mistakes she’s made. I won’t let him hurt my friends. And I won’t let him hurt Asami. _

Korra charged again, driving Vaatu back with a flurry of blows, but he swept them all aside, as if he was testing her measure. “Yes,” he rumbled in his unnatural voice, accepting her strikes almost gleefully. “I can feel your anger. Your rage is strong, Chosen One—and I can make you even stronger!”

“What part of no don’t you understand?” Korra snarled. She swung her saber, and though it missed Vaatu’s arm by a hair’s breadth, it did singe a piece of his ragged black cloak and leave it smoldering.

Vaatu merely laughed, a cold and terrifying sound. “Your will is considerable. But you still do not understand the breadth of my power.”

“And you’ve underestimated mine.” Kuvira had recovered with impressive speed and now she struck from behind Vaatu, delivering a powerful overhand blow that he had to pivot awkwardly to block. Her enemy’s guard raised, Korra stabbed beneath it, and this time, her lightsaber hit home. The blade penetrated into Vaatu’s robes, filling the air with the rancid smell of dead flesh burning.

Vaatu did feel the blow; that much was clear from the furious hiss that came from deep within him, but he didn’t fall as a man would have. He merely staggered backward, giving enough ground to face both of them cleanly once more.

Korra bit her lip. “I should’ve guessed it wasn’t going to be that easy.”

Kuvira smiled, wry and thin. “When is it ever?” She struck once more, circling around to Vaatu’s right while Korra followed in on his left. Vaatu met them, his parries as strong as ever despite having been skewered seconds earlier, but in spite of that power, the combined attacks were not easily defended.

A rapid flurry of blows from Korra forced Vaatu to focus his attentions on her and when he pivoted, Kuvira was able to slip a strike in. Her lightsaber caught his upper thigh, and as he stumbled backward, Korra followed up with a thrust of the Force. Vaatu tumbled backward, managing to come up into a kneeling position only after several hard rolls.

Korra smiled, a sense of triumph beginning to grow inside her. “Seems like these insects have a little bite, huh?”

Vaatu stood and straightened, his robes falling into place around him, clothing him in imperious majesty once more. “It does. Now, you shall feel mine.”

He raised his hands and suddenly, a sharp spike of pain lodged itself in Korra’s head. It seemed to stab straight through her skull, and she dropped to her knees, screaming in agony. She tried to push past the mental attack and erect some kind of barrier, but Vaatu shattered it as though it were merely glass. He plunged into Korra’s mind, into her memories, and she saw dozens of faces rush by: Kuvira, Opal, Mako, Bolin… Asami.

_ I know what you would do to save the galaxy,  _ Vaatu’s voice said, gnawing at her mind. _ But what would you do to save her? _

Korra felt the crushing void that was Vaatu’s will focus on the image of Asami in her mind. The meditation chamber dropped away, replaced with another room that looked as if it was somewhere else on the dreadnought. It was a huge lab, filled with the sounds of battle, soldiers and droids alike firing on a pitiful few targets.

It was bad enough when she saw Mako and Bolin there, but then Korra realized that the third person scrambling around the room was Asami. She was crouched behind a metal table, fear evident in her eyes as she stared at a massive mecha piloted by her father. It turned on her, its raised cannon glowing.

_ There she is _ , Vaatu gloated.  _ The woman you claim to love. And she is going to die. _

Korra wanted to protest that he was lying, that this was merely a trick of the Dark Side meant to play on her fears, but she couldn’t. She had experienced many visions, and this one was real. Somewhere on the dreadnought, Asami was fighting for her life, and she was badly outnumbered.

_ You can save her. Give yourself to me, to the Dark Side, and there will be no further need for her to suffer. Do it, and I will command Hiroshi Sato to spare her life. _

In the vision, Korra saw Asami scamper across the room, just ahead of a powerful blast of Hiroshi’s cannon. How long could she avoid it?  How long until she was killed in front of Korra’s helpless eyes?

It was as if Vaatu could read her every thought.  _ Not long. Speak the word now, and avert that fate. You two can be reunited, free to serve together at my side, but only if you accept your true destiny. _

Korra shouted and clutched her head, her emotions threatening to rip her in two. She knew her duty. She was the Chosen One. Despite her disagreements with the Jedi order, she believed in protecting the universe and everyone in it wholeheartedly. No one person’s safety—not her own, not even Asami’s—could come before that goal.

And yet.

Seeing Asami fight for her life left Korra paralyzed with fear. She couldn’t move, couldn’t breathe. Silent tears streamed down her cheeks as the pain within her grew, swelling into a great wave that threatened to swallow her up. _ I have to help her. Have to save her. I can’t… I can’t let her die… I’m a coward. Too much of a coward to live without her. _

Vaatu’s hooks were in her and Korra’s lips trembled on the verge of saying ‘yes’. While she didn’t fear her own death, she would do anything, anything at all, to spare Asami the same fate.

Her enemy seemed to sense it. He drew Korra’s gaze further into the vision, forcing her to focus on Asami’s face. It was sharp and panicked, and her green eyes glistened with fear. Time slowed, and Korra’s entire being burned to reach out and touch her. To help. To jump between her and the cannon, no matter the cost.

Then, the vision changed.

Asami’s expression was hard now. She broadened her stance, bracing herself more firmly. Her jaw clenched, and her eyes flashed with something other than terror: determination. As Korra watched, heart in her throat, Asami rushed the cannon—and her father. She threw herself forward without any hesitation, a fearless streak of red, her glove crackling in front of her.

In that moment, Korra felt Vaatu’s hold loosen. Asami hadn’t given in. Facing down death, she had found the courage to fight back. The chorus of conflicted thoughts in Korra’s mind faded, replaced with a single question:  _ What would Asami tell me to do? _ She already knew the answer. Asami would never surrender, not to her father, not to Vaatu, and not to the Dark Side.

_ And neither will I. _

This time, Korra didn’t cry out in pain. She roared, pushing Vaatu from her mind with a burst of renewed strength. She felt alive, energized, and although she had everything to lose, she fought without tethers. Protecting Asami might be impossible, but at the very least, Korra was determined to make her proud.

For the first time since the start of their battle, Vaatu stumbled. He had taken wounds before, but always without true concern, like a predator toying with its prey. Now, he was genuinely hard-pressed. Korra could sense real fear as he tried to keep up with her barrage of attacks.  She switched through form after form, scarcely slowing down to breathe. Her body was alive with energy, as if the entire universe had lent her its strength. She was one with the Force, and it’s strength was her own.

Korra drove Vaatu back with a series of hammer blows, forcing him to focus only on her. She could feel his concentration waiver, and when it did, Kuvira rose. The other Jedi had been paralyzed, presumably locked into visions of her own, but now, she joined in the attack, both of their lightsabers darting into the widening holes in Vaatu’s defenses.

“Die!” he wailed, but he was the one falling apart. Kuvira’s next attack sliced another hole in his robes, burning deep into dead flesh. Korra could feel the matrix of dark energy that held him together straining, and she sent her own awareness into the gaps. It was like touching the negative image of everything Toph had shown her, not the beautiful web that connected all life, but a collage of raw pain and hatred.

As strong as the Dark Side had seemed at first, however, it was also fragile. Korra surged forward, pressing against the matrix with the Force as she struck again. Vaatu screamed, his form unravelling at the seams. His limbs stretched out at unnatural angles, wisps of dark smoke floating away from his body. The very glue holding him together had begun dissolving. But he wasn’t quite done yet. He reached out his hand, clawed fingers splayed, but Korra felt no assault on her mind. Instead, blue lightning crackled, and a yell of agony echoed beside her.

It was Kuvira, Korra knew without looking. She could hear her friend’s cries, and smell the sickly sweet scent of burnt flesh. It filled her with furious anger, but this time, Korra had the focus necessary to channel it. She poured it all into one thrust: her fear, her anger, but not her hate—only love. Love for Asami, for Kuvira, for all her friends. She would not let this monster touch them.

Her saber struck deep. It pierced the shadowy center of Vaatu’s chest, and red light swelled within him, running along his body like cracks of molten lava. She made one final push with the Force and the cracks hissed and bubbled, Vaatu shrieking as his dissolution sped up. Whole pieces of him floated away, breaking off and fading to nothing. Soon his limbs were gone, and then his torso, until only a hooded head remained.

“No!”

With that last wail of hatred, Vaatu vanished completely. His robes crumpled to the floor, empty at last.


	31. Chapter 31

“What is  _ that _ ?”

As Asami exited the lift, her eyes widening, she could understand Bolin’s confusion. The device dominating the room they had entered into wasn’t like anything she had seen before. True, her father’s diagrams had hinted at its scope, but seeing it in person was something else entirely. 

It was impossible not to notice the size first. The weapon was massive, and Asami had to crane her neck to see the top. The tangle of wires and circuitry was complex, but not unexpected.  The huge orb suspended at its center, however, was truly alien. The pictograms etched across its black surface glowed ominously, while the rest of it seemed to swallow the surrounding light. 

Just being in its presence made Asami’s limbs feel heavy and her chest weak, as if the galaxy was pressing down on her.  _ At its source, the weapon must be so powerful that ever non-Force sensitives are affected. This is what the Jedi back at the temple felt, or at least a fraction of it.  _

“Looks like we found Vaatu’s weapon,” Mako said. In spite of his stoic facade, Asami could tell he was feeling the same discomfort she was. “How do we disable it?”

“This looks like a good place to start.” Asami stepped away from the lift and over to a nearby control panel. Gaining access was easy enough. This deep into the dreadnought, it seemed her father hadn’t felt the need for further layers of encryption. Unfortunately, what she found as she cycled through the menus on the screen was less encouraging. “It can’t be shut down right now. The system is locked as long as it’s receiving power from an outside source.”

“What?” Mako asked. “Why not? That seems dangerous.”

Asami frowned. “Yes, but interrupting its power supply prematurely could be even more dangerous.”

Bolin twirled his blaster. “So, you’re saying we shouldn’t start shooting bits off until something breaks?”

“Bad idea,” Asami said firmly. “It would eventually disable the weapon, but the resulting backlash would also kill all of us.”

“Let’s call that ‘Plan B’ then,” Mako said. “But if we can’t think of anything else, we may have no choice. We can’t let all of the Jedi on Coruscant die.”

The pressure in Asami’s chest worsened. She had come here prepared to sacrifice herself if it meant saving the Jedi, but actually staring down death was terrifying — and yet Korra was still out there somewhere, fighting with everything she had. Asami refused to fail her, whether that meant saving them all, or going down with the dreadnaught. “No, we can’t,” she agreed.

Before she could think of what that meant Plan A should be, the control panel lit up, glowing yellow with a menacing alert indicator. “That doesn’t look good!” Bolin exclaimed. “Right, Asami? That’s not good, is it?”

It certainly didn’t feel good. The weight of the room doubled, and Asami braced herself against the control panel to keep from toppling over. Gritting her teeth, she straightened up and got back to work, fingers flying as she searched for answers.

“I’m not sure. There was just a massive transfer of power into the weapon, but now there’s nothing coming in.”

“Nothing at all?” Mako said. “Vaatu must be unable to keep powering this thing.”

Bolin cheered, pumping his fist in the air. “That means Korra did it! She stopped Vaatu!”

Asami felt a rush of pride and joy, but it was short-lived. A followup message appeared on the screen in large flashing letters: ‘Power levels unbalanced — system overload imminent.’ The control panel beeped insistently, and the three of them stopped celebrating.

“Asami?” Mako asked, a note of fear in his voice.

She confirmed what he had already guessed. “The system can’t handle that last surge. It’s going to blow!”

As she spoke, the enormous sphere began rumbling. The cables suspending it rattled, and steam hissed from between gaps in the support beams. “Can’t you stop it?” Mako asked, not nearly so stoic anymore. “You said the weapon was locked as long as it was receiving power, but now...”

“Right.” Asami delved back into the system. Above her, the pictograms glowed brighter than ever, almost like a clock counting down to their deaths. The weapon still couldn’t be shut down, not with the amount of power running through it. But maybe she could do something else.

_ Time. We just need a little time to find Korra and get out of here... _

She punched in a few more commands and looked up from the control panel. “All right.”

“Did you stop it?” Bolin asked hopefully.

“Not exactly,” Asami replied, “but I did manage to reroute most of the energy through the dreadnought’s other systems.”

Bolin looked at her, wide-eyed. “So?”

“So, we have about ten to twelve minutes. I recommend we run.”

She didn’t have to tell them twice. Bolin and Mako took off, only hesitating the split second it took to make sure Asami was close behind them. They scrambled into the lift, and Mako jabbed the ‘up’ button. It took what felt like forever for the doors to close, and Asami wished she’d taken the stairs. Not that they’d seen any. They were going to waste precious seconds on this elevator…

“We need to find Korra,” Asami said as they began their ascent.

“We need to get to the hangar,” Mako protested.

Asami whirled on him, knuckles bunching as she squeezed the grip of her blaster tighter than necessary. “What? No!”

“We have to at least try and look for Korra,” Bolin protested.

“She knows where we’re going,” Mako insisted. “I’m worried too, but if she really did defeat Vaatu, then she’ll head for the shuttle. We can meet her there.”

“What if she’s injured?” Asami asked, her heart racing at the possibility. “What if she can’t...”

The lift stopped and the doors opened, revealing a waiting squad of heavily armed guards.

“Oh, crap!” Bolin ducked out of the doorway just in time to avoid several incoming shots. He crouched down in the corner of the lift, returning fire as best he could from cover.

Asami didn’t raise her blaster. Instead, she readied her glove. As expected, several of the guards came for the elevator with their weapons drawn. She shot out her hand, grabbing the nearest trooper’s leg and pouring all the juice she had into his armor. He stopped short, jerking at the surge of electricity, and his fall blocked the next guard long enough for Mako to shoot him down. “Close the door, Bolin!” he shouted, firing off several more rounds.

“I can’t!” Bolin pressed the elevator buttons urgently, but the door didn’t shut more than half way before hitting the troopers’ slumped bodies and stopping. Asami gritted her teeth. They were losing precious time — time they needed to find Korra. She switched from her glove to her blaster, but there were too many guards and not enough cover.

Before Asami could come up with a better tactic, something small and round flew right past her head. She ducked, flinching at the sound of metal impacting on metal. She could guess what the spherical object was, but whipping around confirmed it. A thermal detonator bounced off the elevator’s back wall and rolled across the floor, red lights blinking.

“Grenade!”

Asami wasn’t close enough to grab it, but Mako was. He moved so fast he was almost a blur, throwing himself to the ground, scooping up the detonator, and lobbing it back. It exploded in midair, sending shockwaves through the group of guards and rocking the elevator compartment. Everything shuddered and screeched, but when Asami lifted her head, there was an opening ahead. Several guards were dead, and the ones who had escaped the worst of the blast had been knocked to the ground.

Bolin helped her up. His lips moved, but Asami couldn’t hear what he was saying. The message was obvious, though: they had to run. She stumbled on shaking legs, but soon found her stride, racing past the fallen guards with Mako and Bolin beside her.

The guards didn’t recover in time to follow, but that hardly meant they were safe. They had just turned a corner when Asami heard a hum in the ceiling, warning of an impending power surge. She barely had time to yell, “Down!” before a conduit above them overloaded, showering them with sparks. Asami fell to the deck, shielding herself as best she could with her coat. It helped, but she still winced at the feeling of holes burning into the thick fabric.

There wasn’t time to dwell on the pain. As soon as the the sparks stopped falling, Asami leapt back to her feet, followed closely by Mako and Bolin.

“This place isn’t going to last much longer!” Mako yelled.

“You think?” Asami snapped. She didn’t want it to be true, but the dreadnought was falling apart around them. They only had a few minutes left—if they were lucky. There was no way they could wander through the ship looking for Korra. Asami’s only choice was to keep running for the hangar and hope for the best.

_ Korra wouldn’t want you to die stupidly _ , Asami told herself, but her stomach was still twisted up in a knot. If something happened to Korra because she’d been too slow to help her…  _ Don’t think about it _ , Asami insisted, trying to stay in the here and now. Anything else would paralyze her, and that was not an option.

The one advantage to the rapidly deteriorating condition of the ship was that three fleeing infiltrators were no longer anyone else’s top priority. Several more guards and a couple of midshipmen crossed their path as they continued their flight, but none of them spared more than a brief glance in their direction. The wail of alarm klaxons filled the air except when they were interrupted by the boom of an explosion, and under those conditions, it seemed that a “live and let escape” attitude had taken hold of everyone.

With their path clear, it didn’t take long to reach the hanger. Asami slammed the door controls, but when the door opened, she didn’t have time to worry about the fact that Korra wasn’t behind it, waiting for her. The fleeing crew had only left a handful of ships behind, but one of them was Asami’s shuttle, and in front of it stood Baatar Jr, flanked by a half dozen guards. “You! You’ve ruined everything!” he screamed when he saw her, his face twisted with rage.

“This isn’t really the time,” Asami yelled back. “In case you haven’t noticed, this place is about to blow up.”

“That’s your fault!” he snarled, raising his blaster.

“Maybe we can talk about who’s fault it is later. You know, on a ship that isn’t blowing up,” Bolin said, levelling his own weapon. As if to emphasize his point, a fixture behind them chose that moment to explode, making the lights flicker until they returned, weaker than before.

“There’s nowhere for me to go,” Baatar yelled. “All that’s left is to make sure all of you pay for what you’ve done.”

“Oh, grow up, Baatar.”

Everyone’s heads whipped around in unison at the sound of the new voice. When Asami saw who was behind it, her jaw nearly hit the deck. Standing in front of her, a bit singed but mostly just looking exasperated, was Kuvira. But even that shock didn’t matter, because beside her, alive and whole, stood Korra.

_ Korra is alive! _ Asami was so overtaken by relief that she almost forgot she and her friends were being held at gunpoint. She would have thrown her weapon aside and rushed into her lover’s arms if Baatar hadn’t reminded her of his presence, howling in rage at Kuvira.

“You? With her?” He turned, aiming his blaster at Korra. “Traitor! How could you, Kuvira? You hate her! We had a plan!”

“Plans change,” Korra said. “Right now, I suggest you use ours: it’s called getting the heck out of here.”

Baatar continued sputtering until the lights cut out again. They remained off for two full seconds this time before switching on again, accompanied by a wheezing noise that sounded like the ship’s dying breath. The power was going crazier than Baatar, and Asami didn’t want to take her chances with either one.

“Korra, we have to go. We’ve got  _ maybe _ two minutes before—”

The deck shuddered underfoot, and a few pieces of plating fell from the hangar ceiling. The largest sheet smashed into one of the few remaining shuttles, cutting straight through its hull and crushing the nose.

“You heard her, Baatar,” Kuvira said, frustration and disdain dripping from her voice. “Stop pointing that thing at us and get your ass on a shuttle before we lose any more. Or stay here and get blown up. I really don’t care.”

“Ouch. That’s kinda harsh,” Bolin said, wincing visibly. “Guess that means they aren’t dating anymore, huh?”

He spoke a little too loudly. Baatar whirled around a second time, facing the three of them once more and brandishing his blaster at Bolin. “Guards, kill him! Kill Korra! Kill them all!”

None of the guards obeyed, seeming to have second thoughts about attacking multiple Jedi while the ship collapsed around them. Instead, most of them looked at Kuvira, waiting for her to give them better instructions. 

“Get out of here, now,” she snapped, gesturing at the remaining ships.

This time, the guards didn’t hesitate. Fear of death combined with Kuvira’s orders seemed motivation enough. They scattered in every direction, sprinting for safety.

Baatar’s eyes bulged with anger. “You think this is over? Our Master will—” 

Asami couldn’t take it anymore. While he raged at Kuvira, she sprinted up behind him and grasped his shoulder with her glove, shocking him into silence. He fell to the floor, smoke trailing up from the edges of his clothes and the short strands of his hair.

“I didn’t kill him,” she said to Korra and Kuvira, who were looking at her with a mixture of surprise and approval. “But if you want to leave him here, I won’t say no.”

Korra laughed. She shut off her lightsaber and flung herself into Asami’s arms, wrapping her in a tight embrace. Asami hugged back, unable to resist. Even if they only got three seconds to hold each other, it would be worth it. She needed to feel Korra against her, alive and whole. Needed to hear the thump of Korra’s heartbeat.

Words trembled on her lips, but there wasn’t time. Someone grabbed her arm, and she saw Mako beside her. “Later.”

Asami knew he was right, but she didn’t have to be happy about it. Reluctantly, she let Korra go and followed his gaze. Only her own shuttle was left. Kuvira was already on her way there, looking back urgently toward them. “Come on, let’s go!”

“What about him?” Bolin asked, staring down at Baatar Junior.

“He was with Vaatu,” Korra said, in a tone that made her feelings clear.

A furrow creased Bolin’s brow. “He’s Opal’s brother, though.”

“Fine.” Korra rolled her eyes, but helped Bolin haul him upright. All five of them hurried toward the shuttle, with Baatar’s limp body in tow.

Asami entered the code to unlock the shuttle door, and as it opened, she allowed herself to sneak a look back at Korra. Even more than after her return from Dagobah, the Jedi seemed whole and powerful, centered within herself in a way that was truly breathtaking.

Korra must have noticed Asami starring, because as they climbed on board she ship, she smiled with a love that warmed Asami to her core. There were a thousand conversations Asami wanted to have with her lover; about Vaatu, and Kuvira, and her father, and their future, and so much more, but they would all have to wait.  Another chunk of the hanger’s ceiling crashed only a few meters away from the shuttle, and behind her, Bolin exclaimed, “Not good!”

“It’ll be fine,” Korra said while Asami settled into the pilot’s chair. Quickly, she shifted all available power to the shields and engines.  A few seconds later, the shuttle lifted off of the deck, while behind them, the dreadnought’s deterioration continued apace. Asami lurched forward in her seat as a shockwave slammed into the rear of the shuttle. She could see other explosions ripping across the hangar deck, filling it with a dazzling set of fireworks.

Through the destruction, Asami kept her focus, refusing to loosen her grip on the controls as the ship shook. As soon as it had stabilized, she hit the accelerator, pouring everything it had into the forward thrust. The shuttle shot toward the hangar entrance, speeding away from the flames that gathered ominously behind them. 

The fire wasn’t fast enough to catch them. By the time the dreadnought was racked by its final, doomed spasms, they were safely clear, watching it burn from the darkness of space.  Mako, Bolin, and even Kuvira had all turned back to the spectacle of the great ship breaking apart, but not Asami. Her eyes were firmly on Korra, and Korra’s on her. Though neither of them spoke, Asami knew they were sharing the same thought:

_ We made it _ .


	32. Chapter 32

As the shuttle filled with cheers, Korra’s gaze remained fixed on her new lover’s face. Asami had returned to the task of piloting them to safety, brow furrowed intently, hands clasped tight around the joysticks. A small trickle of sweat glistened beneath her hairline, and she had smears of dirt and a visible bruise on one cheek. Even so, she was the most beautiful sight Korra had ever seen in her life. _ It’s over, _ she realized, with a warm flood of relief.  _ It’s finally over, and both of us are alive. _

Without thinking, she reached over to place her hand on top of Asami’s thigh. It was an instinctive gesture, meant to be soothing, but Asami reacted with surprise. She shot Korra a sideways glance, smiling briefly but broadly before returning to what she had been doing. Korra’s heart flipped in her chest. She had no idea what would happen now that the worst was over, but she couldn’t help feeling hopeful. As long as Asami was with her, things would turn out all right.

“So what happened with Vaatu?” Bolin asked, still brimming with excitement. Without death hanging over his head, his usual cheerfulness had returned. “You kicked his butt, right?”

Korra grinned. “I sure did,” she said, only a little more smugly than was proper for a Jedi.

_ A Jedi… is that still what I am? Is it still who I want to be? _

They were serious questions, but a voice in Korra’s head that sounded a lot like Toph replied with:  _ Who cares? _ She had time to figure it out, and friends who would support her no matter what she chose.

“But I had help,” she continued, looking into the back seat at Kuvira.

Kuvira was less joyful than the brothers, and for good reason. By turning against Vaatu, she had taken up the mantle of lonely outcast once more. Guilt stirred in Korra’s gut, and the sensation only grew worse when Kuvira said, “It was nothing. I’m only sorry I didn’t see my error in judgment sooner.”

Mako raised a skeptical eyebrow. “Error in judgment?”

To Kuvira’s credit, she held his gaze. “It is easier than you might think to become swayed by the Dark Side, um…”

“Mako,” he said. “ _ Detective _ Mako.”

“Ah. So you know Lin Beifong.”

“Of course. The Chief of Police is my direct superior.”

Kuvira nodded. “Then you may tell Chief Beifong that I plan to surrender myself unconditionally as soon as we land on Coruscant. I will accept the consequences of what I’ve done.”

“But it wasn’t you,” Korra insisted. The thought of Kuvira being thrown in a civilian jail or imprisoned by the Jedi Council instead were both upsetting prospects. “The Kuvira I know would never do what you did.”

“But she would,” Kuvira sighed, “and deep down, you know that, Korra. You know exactly how the Dark Side preys on our weaknesses. It’s a credit to your strength that you were able to resist Vaatu, but you can’t tell me you weren’t tempted by his offer. He showed me a world where I would be respected. Where nothing could harm me. Where I would have a mentor who admired my abilities and wanted me – even if that mentor was an undead Force construct. Those were things I didn’t have growing up.”

Bolin chuckled. “I should hope you didn’t have undead Force constructs around when you were growing up.”

To Korra’s surprise, Kuvira actually cracked a small smile. “The point stands. The Dark Side offers you what you want most in the galaxy. What I wanted… was to be wanted.”

Some of Korra’s happiness faded. She remembered all too clearly what Vaatu had offered her: not just her own safety, but guaranteed protection for her friends, and for the woman she loved. Rejecting such temptation had taken everything she had, and that was why she couldn’t really blame Kuvira for falling. Korra had freed herself by focusing on what Asami would want her to choose. Kuvira’s wants and needs couldn’t have been dismissed so logically.

Korra opened her mouth to say so, but to her surprise, Asami spoke first. “Thank you, Kuvira,” she said, and her voice, while sincere, was not as firm as it might have been. The slight waver of emotion was unmistakable. “It helps to know how someone could…” She paused, sighing softly. “My father wasn’t always a bad person.”

Her father. Of course. Korra had been so relieved that Asami was safe, she’d barely spared Hiroshi a thought. “Asami…”

“It’s okay. The Dark Side used his grief to change him into what it needed. We did— _ I _ did what I had to do.” She remained staring straight ahead, but Korra noticed her eyes gleaming. “Kuvira, it’s to your credit that you turned away from the Dark Side and helped Korra. If you’re going to take responsibility for what you’ve done, take responsibility for that choice, too.”

Kuvira sighed. “I appreciate the sentiment, but I’m not sure I know how I’m going to do that from inside a cell.”

Now it was Korra’s turn to take a deep breath. What she was about to suggest was bound to be controversial, but it felt right, and lately, she’d learned to trust her instincts. “I think that as far as I’m concerned, the old Kuvira died on that ship.”

Asami nodded in agreement. “I can get behind that.”  She turned back to Kuvira. “Just make sure that whoever you become now, she’s worthy of this second chance. Not everyone gets one.”

“Wait a minute!” Mako interjected. “Are you serious? We’re just going to let Kuvira walk away from all of this?”

“She fought Vaatu with me,” Korra told him calmly. “And I believe there’s a lot more good she can do for the galaxy.  Besides, it’s not as if there aren’t precedents for forgiving someone like her.  There have been plenty of great Jedi who’ve lost their way for a while, like Ulic Qel-Droma, and Revan, and even Master Zuko.  All of them turned to the Dark Side, but they also became heroes again.”

Mako shook his head.  “All right, all right, I get your point. I just hope you’re not making a mistake here, Korra.”

“So do I,” she agreed.

“Don’t worry,” Kuvira said softly.  “Korra is right. The old Kuvira is gone, and while I’m not sure what I’m going to do next, I know that I’ll never give in to the Dark Side again. What it promises you is a lie.”

Korra reached back and gave Kuvira a pat on the knee.  “I know you won’t.”

“What about Baatar?” Mako asked, gesturing with his eyes in the direction of their unconscious prisoner. “He saw Kuvira alive back on the dreadnought, and he doesn’t seem like the type to keep quiet about it.”

“Yeah, the only way Asami could make him shut up was with an electric shock,” Bolin agreed.

“By the time he gets to a chance to tell anyone about her, Kuvira will be long gone,” Asami told him.

“Chief Beifong won’t be happy about it when she finds out, and I doubt the Council will either,” Mako pointed out.

Korra shrugged, not disagreeing, but not changing her mind either. There was going to be a great deal of fallout from the choices she’d made lately, but she wasn’t afraid of it. Not anymore. “Probably they won’t. But we’re the ones who stopped Vaatu, so they’ll just have to live with it.”

For a minute, no one spoke, digesting her decision. Then, Bolin broke the silence. “You know, we should probably call the Jedi Temple and make sure that everyone’s okay now that we blew up Vaatu’s weapon.”

Korra had to suppress a laugh. By  _ everyone _ , she was pretty sure Bolin meant  _ Opal _ , but his idea was good regardless. Some more information on the situation would be welcome, and so as Asami brought the shuttle down into the upper atmosphere, Korra opened up a comm channel to the Jedi Temple. “Hello, this is Jedi Knight Korra checking in. Is anyone there?”

A deep, masculine voice broke in over the comm. “Jedi Knight Korra, this is the Jedi Temple Operations Center.  What can we do for you?”

Korra smiled, pleased that there was someone conscious on the other end to talk to. “Actually, I wanted to see if there was anything you needed from me. We were on our way back to the temple with a prisoner, but we can make a detour if Republic Security needs any help.”

“No need.  Once the Sith lost their command ship, their morale collapsed.  The battle’s over.”

“And what about the rest of the Jedi?” Bolin cut in.  “Are they okay?”

“A lot of us are still groggy, but we’re recovering,” the operator told them. 

“Okay,” Korra replied. “We’ll see you all soon.”

***

Asami brought the shuttle down several hundred yards outside the Temple District, settling on an empty patch of pavement behind a few medium-sized buildings. There were no people in sight, which was strange, but also to be expected. Most everyone had already evacuated or was still in hiding, since the battle had only just ended. She didn’t switch off the engines, but allowed them to idle, turning to look at Kuvira.

“I thought you might appreciate a head start,” she said to the former Jedi.

Kuvira gave her a small smile of thanks. “I do, Miss Sato.”

“You helped to save Coruscant today, Kuvira. You can call me Asami.”

“Well then, thank you, Asami.” Kuvira unfastened her harness and climbed out of her seat, pausing only to meet Mako’s eyes. “I know you will inform Chief Beifong of my ‘escape’, Detective, even if Baatar doesn’t — and I know she will send people to look for me once the planet is stable again. Please tell her that I understand, and that if her officers catch me, I won’t resist violently. I am not trying to escape justice. I’m merely seeking redemption.”

Mako didn’t answer, but he did give Kuvira a wooden nod of agreement. He also didn’t make an effort to stop her as she exited through the door to the shuttle. Kuvira closed it again without further comment, which Asami found both surprising and disappointing. She’d expected Kuvira to say goodbye to Korra, at the very least.

“That’s that, I guess,” Korra said from the copilot’s seat. She hung her head slightly, chin tucked to her chest, and her expression was clearly dejected. After all they’d been through, Asami supposed Korra didn’t want to bother suppressing her emotions anymore, as a Jedi should.

She reached out, lightly touching Korra’s shoulder. “Go say goodbye,” she whispered. “I don’t think Kuvira will turn you away if you do.”

Korra looked up, and her clear blue eyes brightened with hope. She unbuckled her own harness and scrambled out of the shuttle, chasing Kuvira down before her retreating figure could move too far away. Through the windshield, Asami saw the two of them embrace. She smiled, satisfied that she’d read the situation correctly. Kuvira had probably been too ashamed to initiate an emotional farewell herself, even if Korra would have welcomed it.

After a few whispered words, the two Jedi parted. Kuvira continued on her way, disappearing behind a nearby building, while Korra jogged back to the shuttle and returned to her seat. “Sorry,” she mumbled, strapping on her harness again. “Let’s get to the temple.”

Bolin, who had been fidgeting noticeably, relaxed as they took off again. Not much was said in the three minutes it took them to speed over to the temple, but he did let out an audible sigh of relief as Asami pulled in for a landing. The area surrounding the temple had been strewn with fallen Jedi before, most of them alive but incapable of moving. Now, there were only a few tightly-grouped squads of security officers patrolling the area, and none of them seemed to be under fire.

“No bodies on the ground,” Bolin pointed out. “That’s a good sign.”

Mako nodded. “If they’ve already dealt with the casualties, it’s really over.”

Asami parked the shuttle next to the temple. Unsurprisingly, a squad of officers surrounded them mere moments later, although none raised their blasters.

“Not the friendly greeting I was hoping for,” Korra sighed.

“They’re probably here for Baatar Junior,” Asami said. “Mako, do you have him?” He was already one step ahead of her, having left his seat to check Baatar’s restraints and unfasten his harness. Satisfied that everything was secure, Asami opened the shuttle doors.

Instead of the all-too-familiar hum of blasters powering up, a very different sound greeted them as they emerged from the shuttle. Cheers echoed all around the courtyard, and several more squads of security officers converged around the shuttle. Some had removed their helmets, and Asami could see smiles on their faces. There were Jedi among them too, a few injured, but most alive and well. They whooped and clapped with the rest, seemingly unconcerned if their behavior appeared undignified.

A grin spread across Asami’s face, one that only grew wider as Korra came to stand beside her and took hold of her hand. It seemed they were being given a hero’s welcome after all.


	33. Chapter 33

Korra was just getting used to the cheers when suddenly, they dimmed. Though some people were still congratulating her and the team, everyone else had turned to watch a small group approaching from the other side of the crowd. In the lead was Lin Beifong, accompanied by several of her officers, as well as another familiar face. To Korra’s relief, Opal appeared to have made a full recovery.

As soon as Bolin noticed her, he shoved his way through the gathered well-wishers, meeting her with a joyous bear hug. “Opal, you’re okay! I mean, I figured you would be, but I’m still glad to see you are.”

While Korra grinned at the reunion, Lin pretended not to notice either Bolin’s rambling or Opal enthusiastically returning the embrace. “Detective Mako, I’ve been told you have a prisoner for me.”

“Right here, chief.” Baatar had been awoken at last by the commotion, and with a push from Mako, he stumbled into the waiting arms of Lin’s officers.

Lin fixed him with a disapproving glare, her eyes seeming to contain a star cruiser’s weight in disappointment with her wayward nephew. She didn’t bother speaking to him, however, instead turning back to Mako. “Good work getting him back here. What about the other ringleaders behind this mess? Hiroshi Sato and the Sith?”

Korra prepared to answer, but Asami beat her to it. “My father is dead,” she said flatly, and though her voice held little outward emotion, Korra could sense the surge of regret within her lover. She remembered her own pain after having to kill her uncle, and she knew that just because someone you loved had turned to evil didn’t mean you stopped caring. She moved closer, offering Asami her hand. Asami took it, giving it a squeeze before letting go once more.

The affectionate gesture earned a raised eyebrow from Lin, but Korra carried on as if she hadn’t noticed. “Vaatu’s gone too. I destroyed him myself.”

Lin was too sharp to miss the omitted name and her eyes narrowed suspiciously. “And what about Kuvira?”

Mako shifted uneasily before replying. “Kuvira decided to change sides.”

“Jedi Knight Korra persuaded her to do so,” Asami said, her tone calm and professional. “Kuvira then helped Korra to defeat Vaatu, and in light of that fact, we decided to allow her to go on her way after the battle.”

“She betrayed us!” Baatar blurted out. “She’s ruined everything!”

Lin gave a dismissive wave, and her officers dragged Baatar away, struggling uselessly in their grasp while cursing out everyone he could think of. She then turned back to Korra, seeming little more pleased with her. “So you’re telling me that you allowed a Sith Lord to walk away unsupervised and unpunished?”

“She’s not a Sith anymore,” Korra replied. “And she can make up for her mistakes a lot better out in the galaxy than she could sitting in jail. But if you decide to go after her, she told me to let you know that if your officers find her, she won’t fight them.”

Lin’s brow furrowed. “That’s something, I suppose. I can’t say I approve of your decision, but given that you destroyed Vaatu and saved Coruscant, I’m not exactly in a position to lock you up over it either. Of course, I can’t speak for what the Jedi Council will do when they find out.”

“Where is Master Tenzin, anyway?” Korra asked. “I was expecting him to meet us here.”

Opal extracted herself from Bolin’s hug, but not before mussing his hair affectionately. “Last I saw him, he was leading the clean-up back at the temple. But I’m sure he’ll—”

“Oh, there he is!” Bolin exclaimed, pointing out the Jedi Master making his way across the courtyard. He looked even more frazzled than usual, and he was scarcely able to make it five paces through the crowd without one of the Jedi asking him about something or other, but he refused to be deterred from reaching them.

Korra’s stomach clenched nervously. While she was certain of her decision to follow Toph’s example and forge her own path, for herself as well as for Asami, Tenzin was still her mentor. She didn’t want to disappoint him, but she knew there was no way around it. At least he would be proud of her for a few seconds, after he heard she’d defeated Vaatu but before she told him of her plans.

Tenzin soon arrived, looking flustered — and something more.  Korra had seen mild annoyance on the Jedi Master’s face many a time during her padawan days, but his expression now was different. He seemed almost… happy? Proud? He was actually smiling beneath his mustache, and his eyes brightened as he came to a stop in front of her.

“Korra, congratulations.”

To Korra’s great surprise, Tenzin pulled her into a hug. It was stiff and awkward, probably because Tenzin rarely gave them out, but Korra felt a rush of warmth at the rare, affectionate gesture. Perhaps Tenzin wouldn’t be as disappointed as she feared. It was obvious he cared about her, even though he didn’t usually show it so clearly.

She grinned, hugging him tight before taking a step back. “Thanks, Master Tenzin. Vaatu is gone, and I have your teachings to thank for it.”

Tenzin looked mildly startled, but undeniably pleased. “I thought Toph was going to teach you how to destroy Force constructs?”

“She did, more or less,” Korra said, “but it took all my training to succeed. Most of that came from you.”

Tenzin smiled, which brought a brightness to his face and made him look several years younger. “I’m proud of you, Korra. You saved the Order today. Even for a Chosen One, that’s an incredible feat.”

“It wasn’t just me.” Korra turned toward Asami, who was standing close by her side, looking slightly out of place. Mako was there too, and although he had been speaking to Chief Beifong, he took another step toward Korra to offer his support. Bolin and Opal closed ranks around them as well, and Korra drew strength from the presence of her friends. “We all did it together. I couldn’t have won my duel against Vaatu without their help. Their friendship and love kept me going.”

Tenzin’s bushy eyebrows raised in surprise, and yet, as Korra searched his eyes, she couldn’t help picking up on a certain resignation within them.  _ Is it possible he already knows what I’m going to say? I’ve never been a good fit around here anyway… like Kuvira. _

“With all due respect, Master Tenzin, I don’t think I’ll be able to be a part of the Jedi Order any more. I don’t know what my future holds, but I know I resist the temptation of the Dark Side better when I have people I care about. People to fight for and protect.”

A sad look crossed Tenzin’s face, but as Korra had grown to suspect, he almost seemed to expect her declaration. “You know what the Jedi teach. Attachment can lead to great pain, and pain is a path to the Dark Side.”

“It is,” Korra admitted, “but sometimes we’re stronger for overcoming that pain.” She smiled, touching Asami’s shoulder. “Asami just had one of the worst days of her life. She lost her father to the Dark Side. But she fought through it and helped save me, and all the other Jedi. And Mako and Bolin risked their lives to help me because they’re my friends. Because they love this planet and all the people who live here. Surely those kinds of attachment will help keep me connected to the Light Side?”

“I think what Korra’s trying to say,” Opal interjected, “is that we care about the Jedi Order, but we’ve learned that we’re better people with our friends beside us.”

It was Korra’s turn to look surprised. She’d been ready to leave the Order, but she hadn’t expected the same sacrifice from Opal. Her friend seemed to be reading her mind. “Opal, you don’t have to do this,” she said, looking at her with concern. “Just because my path is going elsewhere doesn’t mean yours has to—”

“That’s not why I’m doing this,” Opal interjected.

“Then is it about that boy?  Just because your mother made such a foolish choice with her life doesn’t mean you have to as well.”

Lin glared at the boy in question as if he was something scraped off the bottom of a Hutt’s septic tank, and Bolin took two steps backward.  Opal, though, wasn’t going to be cowed.  “Stop it, Aunt Lin,” she protested, meeting the older woman’s gaze with a surprisingly firm one of her own. “I’m not making this choice for Bolin, or for Korra, or for anyone else. This is about me finding my own way.”

Tenzin sighed. “I suppose that after everything that’s happened, I can’t say you haven’t completed your training.  Still, are you sure this is really what you want?  Both of you?”

“I am,” Opal told him. “Korra has shown me that caring about specific people, and not just the galaxy as a whole, is another way to do good. I’m not saying it’s the right way for everyone, but I think it is for me.”

“And for me too,” Korra added.  “I appreciate everything you’ve taught me, Master Tenzin, and you’re right that giving into your emotions can be a path to the Dark Side. But so can trying to deny those emotions. That’s what happened to Kuvira.  She tried to pretend that her pain and loneliness weren’t real until one day she snapped.”

“She’s hardy the only one,” Opal added. “The Jedi don’t exactly have the greatest track record when it comes to staying away from the Dark Side. Exar Kun, Revan, Malak, Kreia, Atris… it’s a pretty long list.

A rueful smile appeared on Tenzin’s face. “I suppose I should be grateful someone was actually paying attention to my history lessons. But I take your point; as much as we may like to pretend otherwise, the Jedi don’t have a monopoly on wisdom, and if you two want to follow your own path, then I wish you well.”

Korra put a hand on Tenzin’s shoulder. “And don’t worry, Master Tenzin; I’m not going to disappear on you.  I’ll still be working as hard as ever to bring balance to the Force.  I just won’t be doing it as part of the Jedi Order.”

Lin shrugged. Her expression suggested that although she was disappointed in their decision, that was no different than the way she felt about most of the rest of the galaxy. “It is your choice, I suppose. Though I expect you to be the one to tell your mother about it, Opal. She and I have enough things to fight about as it is.”

“It’s a deal,” Opal told her.

“I suppose this is goodbye then,” Tenzin told them. “At least until the Force wills that we meet again.”

“The Force won’t have very far to look,” Bolin said. “I mean, Asami’s house is only like thirty minutes away by speeder.  Probably less in a shuttle...”

Korra felt her face reddening.  “We’ll, um, have to figure that part out later,” she said a bit too quickly.  “Anyway, what about the rest of you? What now?”

Mako sighed. “I don’t imagine I’ll be free anytime soon. The amount of paperwork involved in booking a few thousand captured Sith soldiers is going to be staggering.”

For once, Lin cracked an expression that vaguely resembled a smile. “I think this once, you can let the rest of the department take care of that. You’ve earned a break.”

“There you go. You’ve got the rest of the night off,” Bolin declared cheerfully.  He gave Mako a hearty pound on the back before turning to Opal. “So, anyway…”

Opal smiled, clearing knowing what was coming next. “Go on.”

“Well, I know you said you didn’t leave the Jedi for me, and I totally respect that, but since you’ve left it anyway, I was wondering if you wanted to go get a drink.”

“I thought you’d never ask.”

Ignoring Lin rolling her eyes at the two of them, Opal looped her arm through Bolin’s, and the two of them turned and begun walking away from the landing pad.  As they left, Korra felt Asami’s fingers lace with her own, giving her hand a squeeze. “I think that’s our cue to leave as well,” Asami said.  “It’s been a  _ very _ long day.”

Tenzin gave them a final, respectful nod as they turned back toward the shuttle, but though Korra returned it, her thoughts were already moving away from the Jedi Order.  That part of her life was over, and even if she didn’t yet know what the next one would look like, the knowledge that Asami would be at the center of it was enough to make the prospect far more thrilling than scary.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We know this chapter was a bit short, but the final one's going to be a long (and smutty) one, so stay tuned.


	34. Chapter 34

It was quiet as Asami stepped out of the shuttle and into the Sato Mansion’s hangar. She exhaled, trying to relieve some of the tightness in her chest. For most of the day, her mind had raced, trying to process one problem after another. Now, she was stuck on only two thoughts, both of which competed for her attention. Her father was dead, and Korra was alive.

The sound of the shuttle door closing drew her attention, followed by footsteps. A gentle hand clasped her shoulder, and she turned to see Korra, who had accompanied her home. A slight smile pulled at her lips as she remembered the last time Korra had done so—earlier today, although it seemed like a lifetime ago.

“You can stay if you want,” she murmured, gazing into Korra’s eyes. They were warm and full of sympathy, offering her enough comfort to take the edge off her pain. “Not just tonight. For as long as you need to, until you figure out what you want to do next.”

Korra returned the smile. “Right now, when I think about what I want to do, all I can come up with is you.” Her sympathetic expression became one of embarrassment. “Sorry! That’s not what I—”

“It’s fine,” Asami said, laughing softly. “I know what you meant.” Her words trailed off, and she reached for Korra’s hand. As Korra’s fingers wrapped around hers, she felt something within her loosen. Tears welled in her eyes, but instead of trying to force them back, she let them fall freely, turning so Korra could embrace her.

“Hey, it’s gonna be okay,” Korra murmured, wrapping both arms around her waist.

Asami dipped her head, burying her face in Korra’s shoulder. Korra’s scent was reassuring, and she nuzzled deeper in search of more. In a way, Korra was right. Someday, her life would resemble something close to normal. A few parts of it might even be better. But Korra was also wrong. Things would never be the same again. Her father’s betrayal and death would always stay with her.

_ He tried to kill me, to kill all the Jedi, and now he’s dead. But Korra survived. She’s okay. _

Asami squeezed tighter, as if to prove that fact, and although Korra let out a soft grunt, she didn’t protest. She also didn’t pull away as heavy sobs shuddered through Asami’s body, radiating from deep within her chest. Asami heard Korra mutter comforting words, and although they floated through her mind without truly taking hold, the tone was enough. She had lost her father, but she wasn’t alone. She had friends who loved her, and she had Korra.

Eventually, she was all cried out. She sniffed, pulling back and wiping her cheeks. “Sorry.”

Korra caressed the other side of her face. “You don’t have anything to be sorry for. In fact, you saved the whole galaxy.”

“What?” Asami blinked away the last of her tears, her brow furrowing.

“It’s true,” Korra said. “When I was dueling Vaatu, I saw you fighting. Your father was trying to kill you, but you wouldn’t give up. That’s what gave me the strength to win. To overcome the Dark Side.”

Asami gave a tight, rasping laugh. “Well, one out of two isn’t bad.”

“Don’t.” Korra’s hand slid down, resting at the join of Asami’s neck and shoulder. “I love you, Asami. You saved me. But you’re not, um, obligated to date me just because we… or because I left the Order. And if you need time to process what happened to your father—”

“Korra?” Asami placed a finger over Korra’s mouth. “I love you, too.” She replaced the finger with her lips, and some of her pain eased. She hadn’t been doing it long, but already nothing felt more natural, or more right than kissing Korra. Asami lost herself in the moment, letting the pressure of Korra’s lips and the warmth of her body blot out everything else.

Korra seemed to sense just what she needed. One of her hands cupped the back of Asami’s neck, while the other touched the small of her back, pulling her closer as the kiss went on.  Neither of them were willing to give it up, not the pleasure, nor the closeness, not unless they had to.

Only when Asami was gasping for breath did she draw back, and then not far. She buried her face in the crook of Korra’s neck, planting more kisses on the soft skin, while Korra’s hand ran through her hair. “Asami,” she murmured, “I’m so happy to hear you say that.”

“And I’m happy to feel it.” She stroked Korra’s cheek, enjoying the way her lover’s head tilted into her hand. “You make me happy, Korra. More than anyone.” She framed Korra’s face in her palms, drawing her in for another deep kiss. Asami could feel in its heat how unreservedly, how completely, Korra have given herself over to this; all of the hesitation and doubt gone.

She was Korra’s choice. Not the Jedi—her.

Asami needed to feel that, not just in her heart, but in her body. Her hands slid along Korra’s shoulders, taking hold of the edges of the former Jedi’s singed robe and pushing it off of her. Korra’s eyes widened, seeming surprised when Asami slid beneath her shirt and began caressing her skin.

“Are you sure about this?” she asked gently. “I mean, with everything…”

Asami appreciated Korra’s concern, but it was unnecessary. “I am. I need you now. Everything else can wait.”

Korra smiled, and the warmth within it was enough to melt Asami’s heart all over again. “It can.”

The two of them stumbled through the mansion in each other’s arms, unwilling to break contact in order to move more quickly. Every hallway and staircase they passed through was filled with kisses and caresses, bits of clothing tossed away as they went. They joined the mess Varrick’s mercenaries had left behind, but Asami paid that no mind. Tomorrow, she would begin to clean up all of the damage that had been done to her life. Tonight, Korra was all she needed.

***

Even without the Force, Korra could sense the depths of Asami’s need in a hundred different ways. The widening of her eyes, the flush of her skin, the way her mouth hung open, the gasps she made every time she was kissed… All of them assured Korra that this was truly what Asami wanted.

_ And it’s what I want too.  _ Korra didn’t feel tired or distracted anymore. Not with Asami here, on fire with desire for her.

When they reached the bedroom, Korra scooped Asami up into her arms. Asami’s legs wrapped around her waist, and she covered Korra’s face with kisses as she was carried to the bed. They tumbled over together, Asami landing on top of her. Korra had already stripped down to her bra, but Asami quickly peeled that off as well. She’d never realized just how sensitive her breasts could be until Asami had shown her. The engineer’s hands caressed the soft skin, while her tongue slid over one of the nipples. It hardened almost instantly, and Korra moaned, arching her back to press herself further into Asami’s mouth.

Though Korra had offered every sign of encouragement, Asami withdrew, hovering over her with a soft smile. “Be patient,” she murmured, scattering kisses across Korra’s heaving chest. Her lips skimmed softly over the landscape, and Korra’s skin prickled with anticipation. “I want this to last. I want…”

From the look in Asami’s eyes, Korra could tell what she wanted. Asami wanted to be close to someone. Close to her. After everything they’d been through, Korra couldn’t blame her. She smiled, stroking her hand along Asami’s back and pausing at the hem of her shirt. “It’s okay.” She pulled it up and off, pausing only to kiss Asami before it went over her head. “I want that, too.”

They came together again, flesh to flesh this time. Asami’s body was warm and welcoming over hers, and Korra held her close, savoring the steady thump of Asami’s heart against her chest. It was proof that this wasn’t a dream, that they’d made it out alive. Asami kissed her, and Korra responded, winding her arms around Asami’s waist before shifting down to grasp her rear.

The rest of their clothing didn’t last long. They tried to take their time undressing, but though they both made every effort to relish every kiss and caress, their desire was too great. Korra helped Asami wiggle out of her pants and underwear, then went to work on her own, trying and failing not to let Asami’s lips distract her as they wandered along her shoulder.

“It’s okay,” Asami kept saying. “We’ve got all night. We have as much time as we need.” But she was the one who ran her hands up along Korra’s legs with unrestrained eagerness, and the one who cupped a palm between Korra’s thighs.

Korra hissed at the pressure. It was flat and indistinct, but somehow managed to massage every sensitive part of her at once. She pushed into the heel of Asami’s hand on instinct, too needy to resist. Her rhythm would have been frantic if not for Asami’s other hand on her waist, urging her to stay still.

They kissed for a while longer, exploring each other’s mouths as they shared warm breaths and soft noises. Asami’s hand didn’t move away, but it didn’t dip further, either. Korra almost pleaded for her to continue, but this was a sweet kind of torture. She could also tell Asami needed it like this, needed some semblance of control. If that was what her lover craved, Korra was more than happy to provide it. Later, there would be time for more…

Her next inhale became a gasp as Asami’s fingers brushed her clit. The spark of pleasure shot deep within her core, spreading much further than its starting point. Korra spread her legs wider, hooking a knee around Asami’s waist, but the touch didn’t speed up. Instead, Asami began sucking the crook of her neck, nibbling the sensitive skin there.

“Asami…” Korra stroked the top of Asami’s head, urging her to look up. Their eyes met, and Korra offered a tender smile. “Please, touch me?”

Simply asking was enough. Asami tended to her diligently, sliding her fingers in a steady, predictable pattern while her mouth was anything but. She kissed along Korra’s face, down her throat, and along her collarbone. When she returned to Korra’s breasts, she spent a good deal of time there, switching from one to the other, teasing the tips until they glistened. Only when Korra’s nipples were almost throbbing against the cool air and her hips had taken up a constant motion did Asami move lower, kissing down along her taut abdomen.

Asami had to move her hand out of the way to make room, and Korra whimpered. The momentary loss of stimulation was almost painful, but the ache eased when she heard Asami whisper, “Don’t worry. I’m almost there.”

Korra trusted her, and yet it was still hard to wait as Asami switched over to her inner thigh. Every time her lips made contact with the sensitive skin, Korra’s muscles twitched. She could feel the heat of Asami’s breath, and her hips bucked against the air.  Her hand buried itself in Asami’s hair, not to push her, but to have something to hold onto. 

“Please,” she panted again. Korra knew the plea was unnecessary, that Asami would take good care of her, but she couldn’t help herself. She had never know it was possible to want something or someone so much until she’d met Asami.

Her anticipation only heightened the sensations when Asami finally made contact. Her tongue slid up, and Korra let out a cracked moan. Even the first, light brush through her folds was electric, and when Asami made it to her clit, Korra felt as if she might float off the bed entirely. It was completely overwhelming—she had exactly what she’d wanted, and yet it still wasn’t enough.

Asami might not have been a Jedi, but she still seemed able to sense exactly what Korra needed. Her hands caressed Korra’s hips lovingly, helping her to relax into the pleasure her mouth brought. Korra ran her hands through Asami’s hair, the strands falling through her fingers like water.  “Yes, ‘Sami,” she breathed, “it’s so good.” 

Asami couldn’t respond with words, but she let out a pleased murmur that sent fresh vibrations through Korra’s clit. She looked up as well, and in her hooded green eyes, Korra saw all the love she could’ve hoped for and more. This was where she belonged, where her heart felt complete.

When Asami’s soft lips folded around her clit, Korra felt as though she might melt. Asami’s tongue circled the head, while she sucked gently on the length. Korra’s abdomen strained with the pleasure she was feeling, and Asami placed a hand there, stroking the taut muscles even as she kept up her ministrations.

Korra couldn’t form coherent thoughts, but words kept escaping from her throat. She needed to say something, anything, to convey to Asami just how wonderful this was. “Oh, Sami. Yes. That’s it. Force, that’s… Force, yes.”

And then she lost the ability to form words at all. Asami’s tongue pressed down against the head of her clit, and Korra fell apart. Warmth spread out from her core, a heat that suffused every inch of her quivering body. She cried out, and the sound only seemed to encourage Asami. Her tongue kept sliding back and forth, driving Korra absolutely mad.

It was bliss, but not quite perfect. Her inner walls fluttered around nothing, but once again, Asami seemed to know what she needed. As Korra continued to come, two of her lover’s fingers slid up to her entrance, slipping easily into her slick heat, and Korra groaned at the penetration. Clearly, Asami wasn’t done with her, and although Korra was eager to repay the pleasure she’d been given, she had no intention of asking Asami to stop.

Asami did, however, pause briefly, removing her mouth from between Korra’s legs and looking up for permission to continue. It took all of Korra’s remaining coordination to nod. As soon as she did, Asami’s fingers resumed their motion, curling deep within her and applying pressure against a spot that made Korra’s entire body tense and shudder.

The low, needy noises that escaped as Asami moved inside her were slightly embarrassing, but Korra didn’t try to suppress them. Asami’s eyes lit up at each sound Korra made, so she kept going. The least she could do was let Asami know just how good this felt. 

And how it looked. Asami was so beautiful between her legs, kissing the quivering muscles of her stomach, dark hair tickling Korra’s skin as those wicked fingers drove her steadily higher.

Korra tried to hold back, for Asami’s sake if not her own, but a second release was inevitable. She couldn’t resist Asami’s deliberate thrusts for long, especially while they were aimed so expertly at her front wall. “Gonna come,” she said, trying to offer a warning, but Asami didn’t slow down. Instead, she increased her speed, running her tongue over her lips. They still gleamed with Korra’s wetness, and it was that sight, as much as the way Asami’s thumb rubbed her clit, that tipped her over the edge.

Her peak hit fast and hard, but it lasted much longer than Korra expected. She gasped her way through the first few pulses, but they didn’t seem to stop. Her inner walls clenched greedily around Asami’s fingers, and each time they hooked against her, she began shivering all over again. Her eyes fluttered, threatening to close, but she forced them to stay open. The look of joy on Asami’s face was too beautiful to miss.

At last, the waves of heat washing over her subsided but some of the warmth remained in her face when she realized just how much wetness she’d released into Asami’s waiting hand. Asami didn’t seem to mind. She was grinning with pride, and Korra felt proud herself. The next few months would be difficult, she knew, but seeing Asami smile was a start. “My turn?” she asked hopefully, although her body still felt weak from pleasure.

Asami laughed. She scooted up to lie beside Korra, although she didn’t remove her hand. Korra was grateful. She wasn’t quite ready to let go of that physical point of connection. “There really is no rush this time. Take a moment to savor it.”

Korra sighed with relief. Now that Asami mentioned it, she would appreciate a few seconds to recover. Though she didn’t close her eyes, she let them unfocus, concentrating on her other senses. Asami’s body was warm and soft against hers, the two of them a perfect fit. She could hear the steady cadence of Asami’s breathing, and it caused her own to slow down as well, helping her to relax her trembling muscles as Asami finally withdrew.

“I was afraid we’d never get to do this again,” Korra confessed after a while.

Asami shifted beside her, propping up on one elbow. “What do you mean?”

“Sorry. I shouldn’t ruin the mood—”

“No, it’s okay. What did you mean?”

Korra bit her lip. “Last time, we weren’t sure how everything would turn out. We didn’t know what would happen to… us.” She deliberately avoided specifying that they both could have died. Asami didn’t need to hear that, given that her father had. “I didn’t realize it then, but it feels like a weight’s been lifted this time. Like…”

Asami caressed the side of her cheek with damp fingers. “You feel free now. Free to let go completely.”

Korra smiled, relieved. “Yeah, exactly.”

“You know what?” Asami rolled on top again, letting her hair fall around their faces as she leaned down. “I feel the same way. Because I love you.”

Korra lifted up a few inches to kiss her, and the taste of Asami’s mouth gave her new strength. She flipped them over, and felt a flutter of excitement in her chest when Asami didn’t object. Looking down at Asami’s body, Korra could see the bruises that the battle had left behind, but they didn’t make her lover any less beautiful. They were a reminder of what they’d been through together, and what they’d achieved in spite of the pain. 

They did make Korra careful, however. As she kissed her way across Asami’s body, she avoided the spots that looked overly sensitive, but that still left plenty of soft skin for her to lavish attention on. Korra took one of Asami’s breasts in her mouth, while cupping the other with her hand. The nipples that topped them were stiff already, straining every time her tongue or thumb brushed across their tips.

“Korra,” Asami gasped, and that one word made Korra flush. She didn’t think she could ever get tired of hearing Asami say her name, especially not that way.

Once she felt the gentle push of Asami’s hand on her head, Korra kept moving downward. She paused only briefly to kiss the taut plane of Asami’s stomach before sliding between her legs. It wasn’t hard to see why Asami was impatient.  Korra’s heart raced at the wetness there, thrilled at the thought that Asami was so aroused already, just from pleasing her.

“Now, please, Korra,” Asami whimpered, and Korra didn’t hesitate. She was still far from experienced, but she felt more certain of herself than during their first time together. She knew that she could make this good for Asami, and there was nothing she wanted more. 

It seemed Asami shared that hunger. At the first pass of Korra’s tongue along her folds, she let out a sharp cry. Her hips jerked, and Korra placed her hands on them, steadying her lover as she began in earnest. Asami’s clit was already peeking out from beneath its hood when Korra kissed it. A wonderfully needy whine came from Asami, and Korra repeated the action a few more times before switching over to the flat of  her tongue.

The response was swift and dramatic. Almost as soon as Korra begun pressing against the head of Asami’s clit, the engineer stiffened. Her legs tightened around Korra’s head, and Korra felt wetness splash against her chin as Asami cried out even louder than before.

_ Wow!  Did she just… so fast? _

The idea sent a thrill through Korra, and she resolved to see just how crazy she could make Asami. Without waiting for that first orgasm to pass, Korra resumed her ministrations. Her tongue resumed moving along Asami’s clit, but now she also brought her fingers up to her lover’s soaking entrance.

Asami gasped as Korra slipped inside, her inner muscles clamping down hard around the pair of fingers she was offered. Korra took a moment to let Asami adjust, but once she began thrusting, she set a fast pace. It was a little tricky to keep her fingers and tongue moving in unison, but Asami’s reactions were more than worth it. She seemed to be completely lost in her pleasure, arching with abandon against Korra’s hand. 

It was like nothing Korra had experienced before that day. Although she wasn’t receiving any stimulation, the responses she was getting were just as thrilling in their own way. She loved Asami more than she could say, and bringing her to ecstasy was its own reward.

It wasn’t long before Korra felt Asami tense once more, but that didn’t make her slow down. Asami deserved every bit of pleasure Korra could give her, and so much more. Instead of stopping, she hooked her fingers inside of Asami, pressing upward in search of especially sensitive spots.

Asami had already been coming undone, but this pushed her over the edge. Fresh wetness dripped down onto Korra’s hand as Asami’s whole body shook with the force of a second, even more potent climax. When the shivers finally slowed down, Korra did pause at last. She looked up at Asami, asking a question with her eyes, and Asami nodded. Her fingers tightened in Korra’s hair, and she moaned, “Yes, please.”

***

Part of Asami couldn’t believe that those words had come out of her mouth. Her body was bathed in sweat, trembling with exhaustion after riding through two separate releases, and yet something deep within her remained unsatisfied.  _ Maybe it’s not physical _ , the part of her mind that was still coherent thought.  _ Maybe I just need to keep her close to me a little longer— _

“Ohh…”

A sigh escaped her lips as Korra’s movements resumed, thrusting gently but insistently between her legs. The Jedi’s actions were more controlled than before, less driven by desire, but they were also full of promise.  _ I’ve got you, _ they said.  _ As long as you need me, I’m here. _

With so much uncertainty spiraling around her, Asami was overwhelmed with gratitude at the gesture. Korra’s feelings for her were certain. Korra’s desire to stay was certain. Korra’s intentions—to make her come again—were obvious, and undeniable. Asami’s eyes watered, and she had to blink away her tears.

_ Don’t cry now. Not during one of the moments when you’re actually happy… _

But she didn’t have that much control over her reactions. When Korra’s lips grazed her clit, testing whether or not she was over-sensitive yet, Asami moaned and raised her pelvis, sliding one leg over Korra’s shoulder and digging a heel into her lover’s back. When Korra took her up on the offer and sucked her in, Asami’s tears flowed freely. And they weren’t just sad ones.

She wasn’t sure how long she allowed Korra’s mouth to worship her—no, that wasn’t right. She wasn’t sure how long Korra’s mouth tormented her… That wasn’t right either. The truth was somewhere in between. Asami felt as though she were being tugged in several directions at once, tossed about by a churning sea. She had no idea whether Korra had stripped her bare and claimed her, or whether Korra was the one submitting, pledging her devotion.

Maybe it wasn’t either of those things. Maybe it was something simpler. Korra loved her, and she loved Korra. Opening herself up had been a huge risk, but with Korra, it didn’t feel frightening. It felt right.

Without thinking it through, Asami reached down, sliding her fingers through Korra’s thick hair. Korra slid back, looking at her in surprise and mild disappointment. “Is it too much?” she asked, her brow wrinkled with concern, but Asami merely pulled her up, drawing Korra on top of her until their faces were level.

Asami moaned as she tasted herself on Korra’s lips, and soon her tongue swept forward in search of more. As they kissed, she slid her hand between their bodies, seeking out the heat she knew she would find there. Korra was as wet as she was, and Asami felt her clit twitch at the first brush of her fingertips. 

“Together?” she asked, deliberately clenching her muscles around Korra’s fingers, which were still embedded within her.

Korra used the brief break in their kisses to grin. “Always.”

It only took a few moments for the two of them to establish a rhythm. They each used slightly different tactics—Asami focused on Korra’s swollen clit, while Korra applied yet more pressure to the thickened spot along Asami’s front wall—but their goal was they same. The only thing better, in Asami’s opinion, than making Korra come and coming for her, was to come with her.

It wasn’t going to take long. Both of them were too sensitive to last, and neither was trying to. This was as much about sharing their final climax as the pleasure itself. Not that it didn’t feel amazing. Korra’s fingers sent jolts through Asami with every thrust, leaving her overwhelmed, emotionally and physically.

It was all she could do to keep up her own motions, but that was still enough. Asami felt Korra start to tremble in her arms even as her own bliss spread through her. The sharp sensations were almost too much for Asami, but even in throes of her own climax, Korra was her rock, solid and warm against her.

Asami’s mouth found Korra’s and they came together for a long, deep kiss that captured their cries. They shook in each other’s arms, stroking and caressing until they were both truly spent. Only then did Korra withdraw her fingers, letting her wrap a second arm around Asami. Her embrace was just what Asami needed, and she nuzzled against Korra’s chest, pressing her cheek against sweaty skin.

“Wow,” Korra murmured. “That was really… just wow.”

“Mm hmm.”  Asami placed a lazy kiss on the top of Korra’s breast, her reward a soft sigh. “You’re a fast learner.”

“Good to know,” Korra said brightly, but then her voice dropped. “Especially since I’m going to have a lot of new things to figure out now.”

Asami lifted her head up, looking straight into Korra’s bright blue eyes. They shone with her love, a light that only grew brighter when Asami said, “You’ll be all right.  You defeated Vaatu and saved Coruscant.  Compared to that, building a life outside the Jedi should be easy.”

Korra smiled that goofy, crooked smile that had melted Asami’s heart from the first time they met. “If life outside the Jedi means getting to do more of this, then I definitely made the right choice.”

“I’d agree with that.  Although I might have a personal bias...” Asami leaned up, giving Korra another kiss. As it went on, the Jedi— _ former Jedi now,  _ she reminded herself—pulled Asami back into her arms. Being there, with Korra, felt like home, warm and safe.  _ The only home I have left. _

The thought made Asami draw back, and Korra immediately sensed what was wrong. Her hand brushed gently over Asami’s face. “You’ll be all right too, you know. It might take some time, but…”

“I will be.  _ We _ will be.” 

Asami said the words softly, but she meant them all the same. Her world had been turned upside down over the last few weeks. The loss of her father, first in spirit, and then in body, had left a wound on her heart that wouldn’t go away anytime soon. Her company would have to be rebuilt, along with her house. And she and Korra would have to figure out just how their new lives would work.

But they would. There might have been a great deal of uncertainty in Asami’s life, but about Korra, she had no doubts. They had been through the storm together, and now that the skies had cleared, Asami couldn’t wait to see where they would sail next. Together.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And we have come, at last, to the end of the road with this story. It's been quite a journey, a bit longer than we expected, but a lot of fun, and we hope you'll agree that it turned out well. Thank you for reading and please leave your final thoughts in the comments.


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